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.
Iran Crisis Update, March 24, 2023
The US has become entangled in a regional escalation pattern between Iran and Israel.
Prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid on March 24 responded to and challenged the main arguments that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei made in his Nowrouz address.
At least two protests occurred in two cities across two provinces.
Multiple US officials expressed alarm over the Iranian nuclear program and reiterated the US commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-march-24-2023
Iran Crisis Update, March 27, 2023
Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah have messaged that the Axis of Resistance is prepared to continue escalating against American forces in eastern Syria.
An Iranian-backed group called the Al Ghaliboun Brigade issued a statement claiming responsibility for the kamikaze drone attack that killed an American contractor.
Some Iranian proxies have tried to avoid becoming involved in the escalation cycle, possibly to keep it confined to Syria and/or prevent the US from retaliating against them.
Iranian regime officials remain split over how to enforce the mandatory hijab law in the aftermath of the Mahsa Amini protest movement.
Regime officials—regardless of whether they espouse a confrontational or “smart” approach to hijab enforcement—continue to speak about the hijab in a tone-deaf manner.
At least one protest on March 25, four protests on March 26, and one protest on March 27.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-march-27-2023
Iran Crisis Update, March 28, 2023
IRGC Ground Forces Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour claimed foreign-backed threats are the source of unrest in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, possibly to set conditions to degrade Prominent Sunni Cleric Moulana Abol Hamid’s anti-regime following in Zahedan.
At least ten protests occurred in ten cities across 8 provinces in Iran.
Raisi administration officials continued to discuss Iran’s economic problems without presenting meaningful solutions to alleviate them.
The Iranian rial depreciated from 511,500 rials to one US dollar on March 27 to 524,500 rials to one US dollar.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stated that Iran responded to an invitation by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia at an unspecified date.
The Israeli Mossad issued a statement announcing that it aided Greek authorities thwart a plot by two Pakistani nationals with connections to Iran to attack Israeli and Jewish targets in Greece.
The Emtidad Movement – an independent political bloc in Iraqi Parliament – announced that the party submitted an appeal on March 27 to overturn a list of election laws passed on March 26.
An IRGC Quds Force (QF) delegation visited locations struck by US airstrikes in Deir ez Zor Province, Syria on March 27, likely to assess and reconstitute forces.
The US and UK jointly sanctioned seven individuals affiliated with Lebanese Hezbollah and the Assad regime for their involvement in the production and exportation of captagon.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-march-28-2023
Iran Crisis Update, March 29, 2023
Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian alluded to Iranian involvement in the recent attacks on US bases in Syria during his meeting with Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia.
President Ebrahim Raisi announced temporary economic solutions on March 29 that will likely not alleviate Iran’s economic problems in the long term.
Some regime officials are increasingly advocating for a social pressure campaign to enforce the mandatory hijab law.
At least three protests occurred in three cities across two provinces in Iran.
Iran cancelled its contracts with the Assad regime to rehabilitate two power stations in Aleppo and Hama provinces.
Unidentified militants gunned down a Shia family in Al Khalis district, Diyala Province.
The Iraqi Wisdom Movement party and the Coordination Framework – a loose coalition of pro-Iranian political parties – are negotiating an agreement to remove judges from Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) according to a statement given to Iraqi news outlet Al Mada.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-march-29-2023
Iran and its proxies may target US forces in Syria in retaliation for multiple Israeli airstrikes on Iranian and Iranian-backed forces in Syria on March 30.
At least three protests occurred in three cities across three provinces.
Iranian officials continued discussing the mandatory hijab law with increased urgency.
The Iranian rial depreciated from 538,500 rials to one US dollar on March 29 to 549,000 rials to one US dollar.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stated that the Iranian parliament could impose a deadline for nuclear negotiations during an interview with Al Jazeera.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the US must compensate Iran for freezing its assets and declared that it had no jurisdiction over the 1.7 billion US dollars’ worth of Iranian assets frozen in the US.
IRGC Quds Force Commander Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani in an unannounced visit to Baghdad.
Anti-regime outlet Iran International published a purported interrogation video of an Intelligence and Security Ministry officer discussing Iran's covert operations in Africa. [27]
Iran International identified Hamidreza[28] mmad Abraheh as an intelligence officer operating in Tanzania. Abraheh stated that his main mission in Tanzania was to build a network of locals with access to high- and low-ranking Tanzanian officials to support intelligence collection and operations over the next five to ten years. Abraheh added that the ministry's intelligence collection efforts were focused on the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Azerbaijan and referenced tensions between the Ministry and IRGC Intelligence Organization. tensions between the MOIS and IRGC Intelligence Organizations.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-march-30-2023
Iran International's exclusive film tells about the interrogation of an officer of the Ministry of Information of the Islamic Republic in Tanzania, about Tehran's plan to act against the interests of the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c7AjUu8bf0
“published a purported interrogation video”
Interrogated by the Tanzanians?
An article from them in English
He was arrested and interrogated in Dar es Salaam — the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania — in December 2022 and was deported to Iran.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202303307478
Interrogated in Tanzania, probably with assistance...
That was a long time ago. He’s probably dead by now.
https://dailynews.co.tz/immigration-deports-iranian-national/
That was a long time ago. He's probably dead by now.
Or sent to another country
Iran Crisis Update, March 31, 2023
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted airstrikes in Damascus, Syria on March 30 that resulted in the death of senior IRGC official Milad Heydari, which likely will prompt Iranian-backed militants to attack US forces stationed in eastern Syria in the coming days.
Recent Iranian attacks on US forces in response to IDF airstrikes suggests a pattern in which Iran retaliates for instances in which IRGC personnel are killed.
The Iranian regime signaled its agreement to uncompromisingly enforce the mandatory hijab law on March 30.
The Iranian regime’s threats to securitize Zahedan have been ineffectual in deterring prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid from criticizing the regime in his weekly sermons.
At least three protests occurred in three cities across three provinces.
The Iranian rial slightly depreciated from 549,000 rials to one US dollar on March 30 to 549,500 rials to one US dollar on March 30.
Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanani strongly condemned Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen’s March 29 discussion on Iran with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.
An unidentified Iraqi political source claimed that IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Ghaani discussed the recent escalation in Syria with Iraqi Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) leadership in Baghdad.
https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-march-31-2023
“Or sent to another country”
Possible. I assumed that they would have deported him back to Iran and there he would have been tortured and killed.
Iran Update, April 3, 2023
The Israel Defense Force conducted an airstrike targeting at least two Iranian-backed militia bases in western Syria on April 1, 2023.
Iranian and Iranian-backed media outlets reported on deaths of martyrs in Israeli attacks, likely to set conditions for an attack on US or coalition forces.
The Iranian regime has cohered around a collective approach to enforcing mandatory veiling laws that frames the laws as the will of the people, possibly to avoid igniting another round of anti-regime protests.
At least four protests occurred in four cities across three provinces on April 3.
CTP did not record protest activity that met its reporting thresholds on April 1 and 2.
Social media users circulated footage of Iranian security personnel dispersing crowds celebrating Sizdah Behdar—an outdoor picnicking holiday marking the end of the Persian New Year—in Alborz, Gilan, and Tehran Provinces on April 2.
A group of Iranian legal advisors claimed on April 2 that Basij members had attempted to coerce detained anti-regime protesters to join the organization upon their release.
President Ebrahim Raisi appointed former Farhangian University President Reza Morad Sahraei as education minister on April 3 following Education Minister Yousef Nouri’s April 2 resignation.
Iranian media reported a chemical poisoning attack on Iranian school girls in Naghdeh City, West Azerbaijan Province on April 3, marking the first of such attacks since March 13.
The Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry appointed former Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mojtaba Demirchilou as Ambassador to Azerbaijan on April 1 amid heightened tensions between Baku and Tehran.
Iranian officials and media confirmed reports of imminent meetings between high-ranking Iranian and Saudi officials.
UK-based Amwaj Media reported that Iran has asked Iraq to play a broader mediator role between Iran and the Arab world, citing a source in the Iraqi National Security Council.
Iraqi Security Forces arrested Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) members that were reportedly planning an attack on Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in Buhriz, Diyala Province, while impersonating ISIS militants, likely to misdirect their participation in sectarian violence in Diyala.
Iranian media circulated conflicting reports of a purported encounter between Iranian air defense networks and a US aircraft over the Sea of Oman on April 2.
Internal Security and Protest Activity
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-april-3-2023
Iran Update, April 4, 2023
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reaffirmed his commitment to enforcing the mandatory hijab law during a meeting with senior regime officials.
Khamenei identified solving Iran’s economic problems as critical to promoting societal cohesion and stability.
Iranian leaders have continued overtly threatening to retaliate against recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria but have not yet done so.
Israel has likely continued its air campaign against the IRGC in Syria and especially against air defense assets.
At least one protest occurred in one city across one province.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-april-4-2023
“Iraqi Security Forces arrested Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) members that were reportedly planning an attack on Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in Buhriz, Diyala Province, while impersonating ISIS militants, likely to misdirect their participation in sectarian violence in Diyala.”
More info on Iraq’s armed groups....
https://merip.org/2023/04/the-political-logic-behind-iraqs-fragmented-armed-forces/
Student poisonings have resumed in Iran after approximately three weeks of no reported incidents, indicating that the regime has failed to take the necessary security measures to permanently prevent these attacks.
Iranian media and officials provided conflicting reports on an alleged attempted drone strike on a Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) facility in Esfahan City, Esfahan Province on April 4.
At least seven protests occurred in four cities across four provinces.
Senior regime officials publicly demonstrated their commitment to fulfilling Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s economic and socio-cultural visions articulated in his April 4 speech.
The Iranian rial depreciated from 506,500 rials to one US dollar on April 4 to 511,500 rials to one US dollar.
Iranian media and officials continued to engage with and promote rapprochement with Gulf states.
210 Iranian parliamentarians signed a statement condemning Azerbaijan's newly opened embassy In Israel.
A Hamas delegation led by Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Beirut.
The Eye of Euphrates reported that approximately 25 IRGC missile and air defense specialists arrived in Abu Kamal, Deir ez Zor Province.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki signaled that he is prepared to use force to consolidate his and his State of Law political coalition's position in Iraqi politics.
Maliki threatened to “take up arms” against those attempting to undermine the Iranian-aligned Shia Coordination Framework's political agenda on April 5.[38] Maliki also called on independent political parties to ally themselves with the Coordination Framework instead of protesting, in reference to anti-Coordination Framework protests that took place from March 20 to 28 likely with support from the Sadrist Movement and Tishreen Movement.[39] Maliki similarly signaled a willingness to use force in the leadup to the August 2022 armed confrontations in Baghdad between his militia and that of Iraqi nationalist Shia cleric Moqtada al Sadr.[40]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-april-5-2023
It is new times now; 180-degree change Maliki is the bad and al Sadr the good guy.
“The Iranian rial depreciated from 506,500 rials to one US dollar on April 4 to 511,500 rials to one US dollar.”
A friend predicted it would reach the half million mark by April 1st....no joke
” 180-degree change Maliki is the bad and al Sadr the good guy.”
I think it’s more like the “...Bad and the Ugly” There is no Good.
True there is no good, but:
The results of that election [October 2021] were, as ever, reflective of the sectarianism that strafes Iraqi politics. The Sadrist Movement, led by Shi’ite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr — an Iraqi nationalist and no friend of Iran — was the largest party with 73 seats, but was short of the majority needed to form a government; the Iran-backed Shi’ite Al-Fatah saw its vote drop from 48 to just 17. Sunni parties formed the second sectarian block. The Kurds came in third, with their major party, the Kurdistan Patriotic Union (KDP), taking 16 seats. The various blocs then haggled for more than a year to form a functioning government, until, in October 2022, Mohammed Shia’ Sabbar Al-Sudani was nominated to take office as Prime Minister. Iraqi democracy had finally kicked into gear again.
https://unherd.com/2023/04/the-kurds-fighting-the-isis-resistance/
Relations between the neighbors have long been strained, with Azerbaijan being a close ally of Iran's historical rival Turkey and holding close ties with arch-foe Israel. The arrests came after months of diplomatic tensions.
It accused them of being “engaged in a pro-Iranian propaganda of religious radicalism, fulfilling orders from abroad to undermine Azerbaijan's tradition of tolerance.”
According to Azerbaijan, they promoted “radical Islam” using money from drug profits.
In January, Azerbaijan suspended the operation of its embassy in Iran, days after a gunman stormed the mission, killing one guard and wounding two others. Baku has claimed that Tehran’s secret services were behind the attack.
On Thursday, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced four Iranian diplomats as persona non grata and demanded their immediate departure from the country within 48 hours.
The decision was conveyed to the Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abbas Mousavi, during his meeting with the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. In a statement, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the diplomats were involved in activities that violated their diplomatic status and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.
https://shafaq.com/en/World/Azerbaijan-declares-four-Iranian-diplomats-as-persona-non-grata
Iran Update, April 6, 2023
Hamas conducted a large-scale rocket attack from southern Lebanon into Israel on April 6 likely as part of a larger pattern of escalation between Iran and Israel occurring throughout 2023.
At least eight protests occurred in eight cities across six provinces.
Iranian security leaders continued emphasizing the internal security threat that they face in Sistan and Baluchistan Province.
Iranian officials continue to frame the mandatory hijab law as a popular demand.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-april-6-2023
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