Let's talk Iran - Continuous Protests Spread Across Iran
Continuous Protests Spread Across Iran Following a Massive Price Hike in Food and Other Basic Goods
On Tuesday, May 17, people in several Iranian cities took to the streets for the fifth consecutive day of anti-regime protests. These protests are ongoing despite intense security measures and limited internet connectivity.
Protests began over the sudden spike in the price of food and other basic goods, but have quickly turned into anti-regime protests with calls for regime change. LINK
What recent protests in Iran tell us
Protests are expanding across Iran and the nature of this latest protest movement is highly explosive as millions of Iranians are barely making ends meet and literally feel they have nothing to lose.
For the regime, however, there are additional indications of a deteriorating impact of their iron fist crackdown against Iran’s restive population. As a result, popular protests show promising signs of escalating to more areas across the country, leading to entire cities revolting, and the people overcoming the regime in its entirety. LINK
Iran: Four executions on May 17 and 18, eight in one week in Sistan & Baluchestan province of southeast Iran
The mullahs have launched a new killing spree as anti-regime protests erupted across the country. LINK
Iranian man sentenced to public execution in 4th case in 2 months
Iran’s regime has sentenced a prisoner to death in public. Dariush Rahimi, 32, has been sentenced to death in public for the murder of a Security Force member. This is the fourth public execution sentence in the recent two months. LINK
Excerpts of Secretary Mike Pompeo’s Speech in Ashraf III, Albania
Pompeo was received by Iranian opposition coalition NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi, on May 16. He spoke to Ashraf 3 residents on the current state of affairs in Iran and the prospects. LINK
How the mullahs are further destroying Iran’s economy
The ruling mullahs are funding their terrorism and nuclear/missile programs at the expense of tens of millions of ordinary suffering in poverty. LINK
Iran's outrageous demands are the reason the deal has been stalled— Sen. Cruz
"The Biden administration desperately wants a deal — unfortunately, they've demonstrated they're willing to concede anything… just a week ago, I forced to vote on the Senate floor, demanding that terrorism sanctions remain in place on the IRGC,” Cruz continued, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “And we won an overwhelming bipartisan victory. The vast majority of senators, both Republicans and Democrats, voted for my amendment, insisting sanctions remain. I hope that stalls this deal. That being said, I think the Biden White House desperately wants a deal at almost any price.” LINK
Gantz talks with US on Iran coincide with Saudi vice defense chief visit
"The timing of both meetings lent to speculation that Israel was coordinating next moves on Iran with the US and Saudi Arabia."
Gantz is in Washington while the new head of CENTCOM, Gen. Erik Kurilla visited Israel for the first time and took part in the IDF’s month-long Chariots of Fire drill, which will also simulate striking Iran.
The IDF does not believe that the two sides will reach an agreement, is seriously planning several military options should the talks fail, and believes that in addition to sanctions, the Americans need to place a true military option on the table as well. LINK
In Washington Trip, Gantz to Urge U.S. to Pressure a Newly Vulnerable Iran
Israel marks the dissent in Iran over its faltering economy as a soft underbelly, and as an opportunity to increase financial sanctions as leverage on Tehran to withdraw from its nuclear program.
Gantz is expected to discuss with his U.S. counterpart the so-called Plan B – steps the United Sates would take in case talks over the nuclear agreement fail, and increasing American sanctions on Iran that would impede the progress of its nuclear program.
On the eve of Gantz’s departure for the United States, he revealed information attesting to Iran’s dramatic progress in its military program: Iran is only weeks away from accumulating enough fissionable material for a first bomb and is in possession of about 60 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. At the same time, Iran is working to complete construction and installation of 1,000 advanced centrifuges in its nuclear facilities, including a new installation near Natanz, and gathering know-how and experience in development, research, manufacture and operation of the centrifuges.
Over the past year Iran and its proxies have carried out at least 10 assaults against various targets in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. At the same time Iran has continued to transfer strategic weapons to its proxies in Iraq and Yemen. LINK
US to refuel Israeli warplanes during massive drill simulating strike on Iran
The Israeli military is planning several military options against Iran should the nuclear talks between the West and Tehran fail. LINK
Murder on the Beach
Paraguay’s slain criminal prosecutor Marcelo Pecci made many enemies in his lifelong effort to protect the rule of law. One of them was Hezbollah.
Hezbollah and Iranian agents have been in Colombia for years. Iran’s influence networks have an established presence not only in Bogotá, but also in other parts of the country, where they recruit and radicalize locals through Iranian-controlled mosques and cultural centers. Their influence operation is run by a proxy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the U.S.-sanctioned Al Mustafa International University. Hezbollah has also been there for a long time, leveraging local Lebanese Shi’a expatriates to launder money on behalf of drug cartels. Their proceeds help Hezbollah self-fund over and above Iranian direct contributions. The combination of Iranian and Hezbollah networks creates a perfect environment to plan and carry out an attack. Not only do these networks have the capability to gather intelligence while seamlessly blending into the local environment; their connections to Colombia’s underworld can give them access to informants and contract killers.
Last year, Iran already tried to carry out an assassination in Colombia against an Israeli citizen by contracting locals. That they failed says nothing about Iran and Hezbollah’s capabilities to assassinate a man like Marcelo Pecci. After all, he was a Paraguayan on holiday—the level of security afforded to him was undoubtedly lower than that enjoyed by an Israeli target in Bogotá, and the intelligence gathering Paraguayan authorities might have done to ensure his safety while out of the country was likely minimal, even assuming they tried. LINK
183 imprisoned women on death row or sentenced to Qisas
According to documents obtained from within the mullahs’ regime in Iran, the Iranian Resistance declared that 183 women in the regime’s prisons were on death row or sentenced to Qisas (death by retribution). LINK
Political prisoner on hunger strike against unjust detention
Political prisoner Vahid Bagheri is on strike protesting Iran authorities’ refusal to grant him conditional parole. He was taken to a prison clinic on Thursday, the 12th day of his hunger strike, on a wheelchair, due to extreme weakness. LINK
Political prisoner Barzan Mohammadi on Hunger strike in Ilam Prison
Barzan Mohammadi, a civil activist imprisoned in Iran, has been on a hunger strike since May 16 after being transferred from prison to quarantine for not attending religious services in prison. He is on strike protesting his transfer. LINK
