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Iranian IRGC hegemony over Iraq exposed in leaked audio

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Iranian IRGC hegemony over Iraq exposed in leaked audio

Since last week, an Iraqi journalist working in the US named Ali Fadhil has posted a number of stolen audio files that have been linked to Nouri al-Maliki on Twitter. Maliki purportedly refers to the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and Muqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Shia preacher, as “cowards” in the recordings and calls for militias to follow the orders of the Iranian IRGC.

In a tweet on Monday, Sadr said that the tapes attributed to Maliki were real and that the threats Maliki has made to him put his life in jeopardy. To “close the door on intra-Shia conflict,” Sadr urged leaders and clans aligned with Maliki to condemn the tapes.

Sadr left open the possibility that “a third party” had a hand in escalating tensions within the Shia community, pointing to the Iranian IRGC attempting to sow seeds of yet another internal war in Iraq to reap the benefits for themselves, asserting more control over the neighbouring country.

Tuesday morning, Fadhil shared the fifth instalment of Maliki’s tapes on Twitter. Maliki and other militia commanders supported by Iran are heard in this recording emphasising the necessity of “blood-shedding in Iraq with the agreement and fatwas from the religious leaders.” Maliki counsels those in attendance to cooperate closely with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and not with the Ministry of Intelligence of Iran.

“The next phase is combat; everyone is fighting for their lives. Sadr wants to kill and commit mass murder. I have no faith in the Iraqi army or police, and I have made this clear to the country’s prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi. I also don’t have faith in the PMF. They have become a bunch of cowards”, al-Maliki mentioned somewhere in the fourth recording.

IRGC Navy Commander Warns to Nip Enemies’ Threats in Bud

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IRGC Navy Commander Warns to Nip Enemies’ Threats in Bud

“If the Enemies takes any foolish measure to foment sedition or carry out an act of aggression against the Islamic establishment, we will respond in a way that would teach them and their allies a painful lesson and will nip that plot in the bud,” Rear Admiral Tangsiri said on Monday.

He added that the IRGC naval forces, which are deployed in the islands and along the operational routes of the elite force, maintain their combat readiness at the highest level in order to be able to carry out the most difficult missions at any time.

The senior Iranian commander stated the neighboring countries in the region enjoy the capability to ensure security in the important Persian Gulf region, emphasizing, “There is no need at all for the presence of foreign countries who want to be here with the justification of providing security.”

He was echoing remarks by Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi who has stressed Tehran cannot tolerate insecurity and crisis in the region, and warned that any mistake by the enemies will face a harsh response from Tehran in a way that would make them regret.

His warnings came just days after US President Joe Biden boasted that Washington may use force to counter Iran’s nuclear energy program as a “last resort”.

In response, Iranian Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi warned the US and the Israeli regime against any adventurist move in the region, and stated that they will be forced to pay a heavy price in case of their slightest mistake.

“The Americans and the Zionists know very well that they will pay the price for using the phrase ‘resorting to force’ against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” General Shekarchi warned.

Iran has repeatedly warned that any mistake by the US and Israel will be met with Tehran’s crushing response.

IRGC vehicle bombed amid protests in Iran

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IRGC vehicle bombed amid protests in Iran

Hengaw has reported that several members of Iran’s terrorist-designated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed and wounded during an explosion in the northwest of Iran, which targeted an IRGC vehicle outside the city.

The explosions took place as dozens of people in the cities of Naghadeh and Urmia were protesting against the authorities’ lack of attention to the drying up of Lake Urmia.”

According to the Hengaw report, this explosion was caused by a roadside bomb in the border heights of Urmia.

Hengaw wrote, quoting eyewitnesses, that as a result of this explosion, the sound of which was heard in the entire region, the IRGC vehicle was destroyed and a number of its occupants were killed or injured.

According to the report, after 40 minutes, the dead and wounded IRGC soldiers were taken to Urmia medical center in an ambulance.

According to Hengaw, 15 minutes after the first explosion, a second explosion went off in the same area, and after that, an IRGC drone began patrolling the area.

An informed source told Hengaw: “After the explosion, an IRGC drone began patrolling the area and was seen in the sky for several hours.”

At the time of writing this report, the IRGC and the media close to the IRGC have not published any news in this regard.

Iranian IRGC arrest and accuse LGBT activist of human trafficking

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Iranian IRGC arrest and accuse LGBT activist of human trafficking

According to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an Iranian LGBT activist who has been detained since last October has been charged with “trafficking Iranian women” to Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.

The IRGC’s intelligence agency made the accusation in a statement on Monday about the LGBT activist Zahra Mansouri Hamdani, also known as Sarah, who was previously arrested on charges related to an appearance in a BBC documentary on gay rights in Iraqi Kurdistan.

According to the statement, she was “the leader of a major gang of Iranian girls trafficking to Erbil,” and the IRGC intelligence tracked her to trafficking gangs that “sold hundreds of Iranian women and girls” to customers in Erbil after months of surveillance.

The IRGC also accuses her of encouraging homosexuality, gambling, and de-stigmatizing illicit sexual relationships in cyberspace.

The organization also stated that her syndicate was run in collaboration with a man known as “Alireza Farjadi-Kia” and another woman known only as “Kati.”

On October 27, 2021, she was apprehended while attempting to cross borders and seek asylum in Turkey. She was held in solitary confinement for 53 days while the Revolutionary Guard interrogated her, insulted her identity and appearance, threatened to execute her, and took custody of her children. Sareh was charged on January 16 with “spreading corruption on Earth,” including “promoting homosexuality,” “information exchange with anti-Islamic Republic media channels,” and “promoting Christianity.”

On January 25, Amnesty International filed a petition, requesting Iran’s Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei to release the LGBT activist.

Russian delegation visit Iran’s Kashan air base to buy IRGC drones

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Russian delegation visit Iran’s Kashan air base to buy IRGC drones

On Saturday, CNN citing the US National Security Adviser revealed that members of a delegation from Russia visited the Kashan Air Base at least twice in the past month to inspect IRGC drones capable of carrying weapons.

CNN reported on Saturday, quoting American officials, that during these visits, Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials showed the Russian delegation two drones, both of which can carry precision-guided missiles.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN: “We have information indicating that the Iranian government is preparing to provide several hundred IRGC drones, including weapons-capable drones, to Russia.”

Mr. Sullivan also pointed to the satellite images taken in June, last month, which show the drones shown to the Russian delegation, and said: “This shows Russia’s continued interest in acquiring Iranian drones capable of attack.”

Mr. Sullivan had officially announced less than a week ago that Russia asked Iran to deliver “hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles” to the country to use them in its military offensive against Ukraine.

After the European Union expressed concern about this Russian request, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart on Friday, while denying sending Iranian IRGC drones to Russia to be used in the war against Ukraine, said these statements by Jake Sullivan has been said: “in line with specific political goals and objectives”.

A day ago, Amir Abdollahian emphasized that Iran does not take any side in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has no participation in this war.

Previously, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz also mentioned the Kashan air base as a “key point in the export of Iranian aerial terrorism to the region” and added that the Islamic Republic used this base to teach “how to use and guide drones” to groups He uses his proxy.

The news of the Russian delegation’s trips to Iran to receive war drones was published while US President Joe Biden traveled to the Middle East and the provocative activities of the Islamic Republic in the region were one of the topics discussed during the trip.

IRGC Media Claims Anti-Hijab Protester In Viral Bus Video Arrested

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IRGC Media Claims Anti-Hijab Protester In Viral Bus Video Arrested

After a video of a woman enforcing hijab rules quarreling with a female bus rider became viral, IRGC affiliated Fars news said the hijab violator has been arrested.

The video started circulating on social media on Saturday, a few days after Iranian women launched a campaign against the compulsory Islamic dress code, or hijab.

In the video a woman fully covered by a long, black ‘chador’ – which is typical of the supporters of the Islamic Republic – is seen shouting at a woman who had unveiled in a transit bus.

The quarrel became so frantic that other passengers intervened and kicked the hijab enforcer out of the bus. She was also recording the incident and threatening the hijab-protester to send it to the Revolutionary Guards.

Some people on social media express doubt that police has been able to identify the hijab challenger in a matter of hours, and they regard the news by the Fars as only a tactic to frighten people whose support for anti-hijab protests are growing.

In another video released this week, a man started berating a few teenage girls who had removed their hijab at a subway station in Tehran, but other people came to help and sent the angry man away.

However, Iran has started arresting women who participated in the nationwide civil disobedience campaign against the compulsory Islamic dress code this week.

On July 12, following a call by women’s rights activists for civil disobedience with the hashtag of ‘No2Hijab’ social media exploded with dozens of videos and photos of women unveiling in public.

After a video of a woman enforcing hijab rules quarreling with a female bus rider became viral, IRGC affiliated Fars news said the hijab violator has been arrested.

The video started circulating on social media on Saturday, a few days after Iranian women launched a campaign against the compulsory Islamic dress code, or hijab.

Biden Says He’d Use Military Force on Iran as “Last Resort” to Prevent Nukes

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Biden Says He’d Use Military Force on Iran as “Last Resort” to Prevent Nukes

President Joe Biden speaks before receiving the Presidential Medal of Honor from his Israeli counterpart at the presidential residence in Jerusalem on July 14, 2022.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview aired Wednesday that he would be willing to go to war with Iran to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon, a position that drew condemnation from advocacy groups and foreign policy analysts who questioned the moral, strategic, and legal bases for such a stance.

Biden also reiterated in the sit-down interview with Israeli broadcaster N12 that he is committed to keeping the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organizations list, even if it means sinking the prospects of a deal to revive the nuclear accord that former President Donald Trump violated in 2018.

While acknowledging that Trump’s decision to abandon the seven-country deal was a “gigantic mistake,” Biden said he would not delist the IRGC to advance nuclear talks that have hit a wall in recent weeks.

Biden offered a one-word answer — “yes” — when asked whether he would keep the IRGC on the terror list “even if that means that kills the deal.”

The U.S. president went on to say that he’s prepared to use military force “as a last resort” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran has repeatedly said it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon and that its nuclear energy program is designed for peaceful domestic purposes.

Peace organizations were outraged by the president’s interview, noting that the terror designation is largely symbolic while the nuclear deal was a substantive diplomatic achievement that lifted devastating economic sanctions in exchange for limits to Iran’s nuclear program.

“Let’s be clear: Congress has not authorized — and the American people overwhelmingly do not support — the use of force against Iran,” said the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

US doubles down on claim that Iran wants to sell drones to Russia

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US doubles down on claim that Iran wants to sell drones to Russia

The US has doubled down on its claim that Iran is planning to sell “hundreds” of drones to Russia to be used in Ukraine, a day after Tehran explicitly rejected the allegation.

Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, on Saturday reiterated his statement made earlier this week that Iran wants to sell weapons-capable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Moscow.

He released satellite imagery to the US-based CNN network that purportedly showed that a Russian delegation visited an airfield in central Kashan at least twice in the last month.

The Russian delegation is alleged to have been treated to a showcase of the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones, both capable of carrying precision-guided missiles.

Sullivan also claimed earlier this week that Iran is training Russian forces in using the drones, and said it is unclear if any drones have already been sold to Moscow.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has denied the US claims in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Friday, saying Iran will not do anything to prolong the fighting.

“The fundamental and explicit stance of the Islamic republic in opposing war and supporting a stop to the war is not based on a double standard like some Western countries,” Amirabdollahian told Kuleba, adding that Iran also opposes the fighting in Afghanistan, Yemen and Palestine.

The developments also come as Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to arrive in Tehran on Tuesday for a trilateral sit-down with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss the Syria crisis.

The leaders are expected to hold bilateral meetings as well, and Putin will reportedly meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei.

Iran IRGC-backed militia impede aid distribution in Yemen

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Iran IRGC-backed militia impede aid distribution in Yemen

International agencies faced a slew of bureaucratic impediments as they attempted to distribute aid in Yemen this year, with the greatest number of restrictions occurring in areas controlled by the Iran IRGC-backed militias in Yemen.

In a quarterly report published June 20, the United Nations (UN) Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yemen says 89% of incidents restricting the movement of goods and aid occurred in IRGC-backed Houthi-controlled areas.

The distribution of humanitarian aid in Yemen remains a challenge because of bureaucratic impediments, it said, noting that obstacles imposed by the Houthis, paired with funding shortages, may result in increasing the level of famine.

This is not the first time the Houthis have impeded the operations of international aid organizations, economist Faris al-Najjar told Al-Mashareq, accusing the IRGC-backed group of plundering and looting aid.

Yemeni Deputy Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights Nabil Abdul Hafeez accused the Houthis’ Aid Co-ordination Council of interfering with the food distribution lists.

Earlier this month a British Royal Navy vessel seized a sophisticated shipment of Iranian missiles in the Gulf of Oman earlier this year, officials said Thursday, pointing to the interdiction as proof of Tehran’s support for the Houthi militias in Yemen.

The British government statement provided some of the strongest findings to date that Tehran is arming the Houthis against the legitimate government with advanced weapons smuggled through the Gulf.

More hostage diplomacy expected from Iran and IRGC

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More hostage diplomacy expected from Iran and IRGC

Last Wednesday, Iran’s state-run Press TV aired footage of its hostage diplomacy in action, claiming that it had detained Britain’s deputy ambassador for taking soil samples in a desert location close to where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducts missile exercises.

The event seemed certain to ignite a major international diplomatic flare-up, until the British ambassador, Simon Shercliff, tweeted that Whitaker had left the country in December when his posting ended. Poland’s foreign ministry confirmed that a scientist had indeed been “deprived of his freedom” in Iran — not last week, but last September.

Tehran offered neither explanation nor apology for the bizarre episode. Nor did it provide clarity on the fate of the Polish scientist.

By week’s end, the regime’s spy catchers had returned to their traditional trade of locking up Iranians — in this instance, two filmmakers who had dared challenge the security establishment on social media.

The events of last week should put all Western governments on high alert for diplomatic theatrics and threats from Tehran as Iran is backed into a corner by crises at home and abroad. Iran’s hostage diplomacy arresting high-profile foreigners, or even claiming to, and parading them on TV allows the regime to shift blame for what ails the country onto perfidious outsiders and gives it bargaining chips for negotiations with the West.

Rights groups say Iran has anywhere between 20 and 40 foreigners and Iranians with dual nationality in captivity. The exact number is hard to gauge because it sometimes suits both sides in a hostage situation to keep things under wraps. As with the Polish scientist, news of an arrest can be withheld for months, even years, and announced only when the regime wants to distract its domestic audience or needs to show its hand in negotiations abroad.

Just last month, Tehran threatened to hang a Swedish-Iranian and arrested a Swedish tourist as a Stockholm district court deliberated in a case implicating a high-ranking member of the Iranian regime in war crimes. That same week, Iran arrested a French couple ahead of a European Union envoy’s visit to Tehran pressing the regime on nuclear negotiations. Sweden and France have warned their citizens against traveling to Iran.

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