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Iran News in Brief – February 3, 2023

iran khoy cold people
The people who lost their homes in the Khoy earthquake have been abandoned by the state with no means to warm or protect themselves

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 10:00 PM CET

German Media: How the Regime Tortures Protesters

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Broken bones, lashes, psychological violence: Former Iranian prisoners and an escaped prison guard report to NDRWDR, and SZ how brutal the Iranian regime is against detained demonstrators.

Laleh Salawi is coming home from guitar lessons with her friend when she sees several women protesting against the Iranian regime. The two girls sing along before security forces suddenly appear, surround them, and take them away. Laleh has to give up her cell phone, is blindfolded – and will be severely traumatized four hours later. That’s what Laleh, whose name was changed to protect her, said a few weeks later in an interview with NDR, WDR, and “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ).

At the police station, she first saw boys being taken into the interrogation room. The boys were laid on the ground and beaten. Then it was Laleh and her friend’s turn. Several men, Laleh later suspects, are said to have kicked her and injured her with electric batons. A little later, her entire right leg had turned blue.

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Iran Approved Nuclear Facility in Secret, Says IAEA

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Iran has secretly approved a new facility for producing enriched uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says. Tehran should normally notify the agency of such a move, according to IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, who said on Wednesday that the plant has been producing up to 60% pure uranium since the end of 2022.

The IAEA head has warned in the past that by doing so Iran is approaching the 90% enrichment level needed to produce nuclear weapons.

He said on Wednesday that IAEA inspectors discovered the modification during an inspection of the Fordo plant, south of the capital, Tehran. The machines have been “significantly” modified since November, the agency said, but it did not say whether or how production capacity had been increased.

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UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET

Iran Uprising at a Glance – Day 141

Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran

Friday, February 3, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1

  • Days: 141
  • Protests: 282 cities
  • Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 647 identified by MEK
  • Detentions: 30,000

Iran’s nationwide uprising marked its 141st day while people in Baluch cities in Sistan & Baluchistan Province took to the streets yet again in anti-regime protests following their weekly prayers. The provincial capital of Zahedan has evolved into a hotbed of major demonstrations and rallies where protesters voice anti-regime slogans.

On Friday protesters in Zahedan began their demonstrations by taking to the streets and holding a variety of placards while chanting “Death to Khamenei!” specifically criticizing the regime’s leader. Protesters are also chanting:
“I will kill those who killed my brother!”
“So many years of crimes! Death to the mullahs’ regime!”
“Death to the oppressor! Be it the Shah or [Khamenei]!”

Protesters in Zahedan also carried a large banner in their march today reading: “Death to the oppressor! Be it the Shah or [Khamenei]!” Members of Iran’s Balich ethnicity who live in the northeast parts of the country held a demonstration today in the city of Galikesh in Golestan Province in support of their local leaders and voicing their dissent against the

IRGC units are using drones for surveillance purposes over the areas near the city’s Grand Makki Mosque. Reports indicate and footage shows that regime authorities dispatched a large number of security forces to the city streets to confront the crowds forming today’s anti-regime protests.

In Zahedan, regime authorities had dispatched military helicopters to fly above the city on Thursday aiming to instill a climate of fear among the locals. Their aim is to prevent anti-regime protests that are anticipated following Friday’s mass prayers.

In the city of Khash, also in Sistan & Baluchistan Province, locals took to the streets in further anti-regime protests and began chanting slogans, including:
“Death to Khamenei!”
“Khamenei, have some shame and let go of the country!”

In the capital, Tehran, a young woman wrote graffiti, reading, “Death to Khamenei!”

In Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan Province in western Iran, a large crowd of people began a demonstration on Friday to protest the arrest of local religious leaders by the regime’s IRGC and intelligence agents. The protesters also chanted anti-regime slogans, including:
“Death to the dictator!”
“Death to [regime operatives]!”

The MEK-affiliated resistance units in a series of operations in seven cities including Tehran, Mashhad, Shush, Soumesara, Nikshahr, Yazd, and Hamedan,  burned a variety of propaganda banners and the infamous images of Khomeini and Khamenei, and Soleimani.


Treasury Sanctions Board of Directors of Iranian UAV Manufacturer

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WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating eight senior executives of Paravar Pars Company (Paravar Pars), an Iran-based firm that was previously sanctioned by the United States and European Union for manufacturing Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC ASF). OFAC is also identifying two Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) vessels, the IRIS MAKRAN and the frigate IRIS DENA, as property in which the Government of Iran has an interest.

“Iranian entities continue to produce UAVs for Iran’s IRGC and military. More broadly, Iran is supplying UAVs for Russia’s combat operations to target critical infrastructure in Ukraine,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States will continue to aggressively target all elements of Iran’s UAV program.”

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UPDATE: 4:30 PM CET

Kuleba: Iran Crossed the Line, We Are Ready To Severe Diplomatic Relations With Iran

Ukraine can decide to sever diplomatic relations with Iran at any time – everything will depend on Tehran’s behavior, says the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba in an interview with BBC, APA reports.

He said he did not know who was behind the explosions at Iranian factories in late January. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Ukraine has historically done nothing wrong to Iran. Instead, the country began supplying the Russian Federation with kamikaze drones for aggression against Ukraine. Kuleba stressed that Iran crossed the line.

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UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET

Public Flogging Carried Out in Sistan & Baluchistan Province

On February 2, the Iranian regime Judiciary’s henchmen in Delgan county in the southeastern Sistan & Baluchistan province carried out the inhuman sentence of flogging in public. While serial criminals and grand embezzlers affiliated with the regime walk free, ordinary citizens are whipped for minor crimes that were supposed to still the pain of their hunger and poverty.

اجرای حکم ضدانسانی شلاق یک زندانی بلوچ در ملأعام


UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET

CIA Director: Widespread Demonstrations Made Tehran’s Regime “Increasingly Unsettled.”

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On Thursday, the United States director of the Central Intelligence Agency called the deepening military ties between Russia and Iran “especially concerning.” Iran is known to have provided drones and relevant training to Putin’s forces in Ukraine.

Burns said that while he was in Kyiv for “30 hours or so” last month meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his advisors, at least six of those hours were spent “in bomb shelters,” as Russian forces conducted two separate strikes on civilian targets using Shahed 136 Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles.

Of Iran, he said domestic instability driven by widespread demonstrations there had made Tehran’s regime “increasingly unsettled.”

“What’s going on internally is leading to more aggressive behavior externally,” he said.

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UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET

US State Department Slams Tehran for Destructive Role in Middle East

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On February 2, at the daily press briefing at the United States Department of State, spokesman Ned Price told reporters: “It is Iran that poses a threat to regional peace and security. You can see that in any number of activities in any number of arenas. It is galloping forward with its nuclear program. It continues to be the world’s leading exporter of terrorism. It is providing support to proxy groups that profoundly destabilize the region. And it continues to develop a ballistic missile program among many other elements of its statecraft and foreign policy. So to hear Iran point the finger at anyone but itself I think is something we would take issue with.”

Responding to another question regarding the Iranian regime’s role in Iraq, Mr. Price said: “We know that Iran’s chief export around the world is instability. Iran’s chief export is insecurity – attempting to take advantage of potential power vacuums, to spread its influence in ways that are typically profoundly unhelpful.”

vedant patel 2At the US State Department briefing, principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel stated: “I think I have been very clear from this podium a number of times, and so I will say it again, that the JCPOA has not been on the agenda for months. It is not our focus. The Iranians killed the opportunity for a swift return to full implementation of the JCPOA back in September when they turned their backs on a deal that was on the table approved by all. Since September, our focus has been standing up for the fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people, standing with the Iranian people, and countering Iran’s deepening military partnership with Russia and its support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.”

Mr. Patel also added: “We have not hesitated to take action as a country through our own designations, through designations in multilateral fora, and through designations with our allies and partners to hold the Iranian regime accountable. I certainly don’t have any actions to preview or get ahead of, and of course, we’ll let our colleagues at the UN speak more to any – about any UN processes. But I think what you should take away here is that we will not hesitate to use the tools in our toolbelt to hold the Iranian regime accountable.”

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Germany’s Lufthansa Suspends Flights to Iran After Drone Attack

German airlines Lufthansa has suspended flights to Iran due to the security situation after a drone attack on a munitions factory located near the city of Esfahan, APA reports citing Iran International.

“Together with national and international authorities, Lufthansa Group Security continues to evaluate the security situation for arrivals and departures for Tehran Airport and the entire Iranian airspace,” the group continues.

“As soon as we have detailed information, we will decide whether or when our Iran flights can be operated again”.

Austrian and Swiss airlines also canceled their flights to Tehran on Sunday.

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IAEA Chides Iran for Undeclared Change to Fordow Uranium Enrichment Setup

VIENNA, Feb 1 (Reuters) – The U.N. nuclear watchdog criticised Iran on Wednesday for making an undeclared change to the interconnection between the two clusters of advanced machines enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to weapons grade, at its Fordow plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency found the change during an unannounced inspection on Jan. 21 at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), a site dug into a mountain where inspectors are stepping up checks after Iran said it would dramatically expand enrichment.

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Estonian Foreign Minister Issues Statement Condemning Iran’s Support of Russia

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of Iran Wednesday, to express its strong condemnation of that country’s backing of Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine, particularly in supplying military drones used in the conflict.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) also condemned widespread human rights violations in Iran, as follows.

“Estonia unequivocally condemns any support of Russia in its aggression against Ukraine, including Iran’s decision to supply Russia with combat drones.”

“The use of combat drones has caused numerous civilian casualties and extensive damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure. Estonia calls on the government of Iran to completely end all support for this unjustified and unprovoked aggression.”

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UPDATE: 8:30 AM CET

AUKMIN Statement Calls on Tehran to Stop Execution of Protesters

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On 2 February 2023, the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP and the Secretary of State for Defence the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP hosted Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence the Hon Richard Marles MP for the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN). In their Joinst Statement, they also said:

“Ministers reaffirmed their opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances for all people. The UK and Australia condemned in the strongest possible terms the actions of Iran in its politically motivated execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari. Ministers called on Iran to cease the execution of protestors and the continued suppression of protests. Ministers committed to tackling Iran’s provision of weapons which are aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This provides further evidence of the role Iran plays in destabilising global security. Ministers agreed to continue to work with international partners to hold Iran to account, including through multilateral fora and targeted sanctions.”

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UN Started Stricter Checks After Iran Hiked Nuclear Enrichment

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International nuclear monitors have started conducting unannounced inspections at a uranium enrichment site in Iran after it hiked levels closer to weapons-grade last year. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported late Wednesday its staff had been granted the authority to conduct the snap inspections at Iran’s mountainside enrichment facility in Fordow.

Iran says its nuclear work is for peaceful purposes but Western and regional countries say it’s aiming to build an atomic weapon. They also cite concerns over its conventional military advances. On Thursday Iran blamed Israel for attacking a munitions depot last weekend with drones, in an attack that has escalated tensions in the Middle East.

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Iran’s Latest Protests Remind of Ongoing Uprising for Regime Change

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The latest episodes of protests in Abdanan, western Iran, and other cities across the country are a reminder of how the Iranian people are determined to continue their nationwide anti-regime uprising. These rallies, with slogans specifically targeting and criticizing regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the mullahs’ Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij, and their security forces apparatus, come at a time when the mullahs seek to claim legitimacy in upcoming events to mark the 1979 revolution that they hijacked from the Iranian people.

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January 2023 Report – Female Journalists Detained in Iran

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Next week, the Iranian people’s nationwide uprising will enter its sixth month. During the past five months, the mullahs’ regime has been trying to prevent the dissemination of news and information about the extent of the suppression of protests and the dimensions of its crimes by arresting journalists and cutting off the Internet.

Due to the lack of transparency of the Iranian regime, the number of journalists and photographers arrested since the beginning of the uprising varies between 70 and 100.

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Also, read Iran News in Brief – February 2, 2023