THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
In Cyberattacks, Iran Shows Signs of Improved Hacking Capabilities
Iranian hackers are waging a sophisticated espionage campaign targeting the country’s rivals across the Middle East and attacking key defense and intelligence agencies, according to a leading Israeli-American cybersecurity company, a sign of how Iran’s quickly improving cyberattacks have become a new, important prong in a shadow war.
Over the past year, the hackers struck at countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in a monthslong campaign linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to a new report by the company, Check Point.
The Iranian hackers appeared to gain access to emails from an array of targets, including government staff members, militaries, telecommunications companies and financial organizations, the report said.
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET
Tuesday Protests in Iran
On Tuesday, October 31, retired educators and other national retirees in Ilam, Qazvin, Sanandaj, Hamedan, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, and several other cities gathered in protest. They expressed their grievances regarding the poor economic conditions, and unfulfilled demands, calling for the release of imprisoned teachers and labor activists. Additionally, their demonstration conveyed dissatisfaction with the pressures and legal actions initiated by security forces against political and social activists.
October 31—Qazvin, northern #Iran
Retired government employees hold protest rally, demanding the regime to adjust their pensions according to the rising costs of living.
"We want our rights, not favors from the government!" protesters chant#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/tYwE9NWuSr— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 31, 2023
October 31—Hamedan, western #Iran
Retired teachers and education workers hold protest rally, demanding higher pensions and other basic needs denied to them by the regime.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/jLOwb5Cn2w— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 31, 2023
October 31—Sanandaj, western #Iran
Retired government employees hold protest rally, demanding their right to higher pensions and other basic needs.
"High prices, inflation are ruining people's lives!" protesters chant#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/gWK7FmMw9K— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 31, 2023
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Violent Attack on Local Residents’ Homes by Regime’s Security Forces in West Iran
On Monday morning, October 30, law enforcement officers, along with special forces, conducted a brutal raid on the homes of underprivileged citizens in the northern outskirts of Ilam, Western Iran, resulting in extensive property damage.
According to the official IRNA News Agency, citing the Public Relations Office of the Ilam Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, the houses of local residents were reportedly constructed without proper permits.
The source added: “These lands, situated in the eastern part of the Haft Tir neighborhood and originally intended for construction, were destroyed following the inspection carried out the previous week by the Provincial Prosecutor. The inspection involved the participation of the Deputy Prosecutor, the Municipality, the Department of Roads and Urban Development, and law enforcement authorities.”
Bread Consumption in Iran Decreases by 40% – State Newspaper
A state-affiliated newspaper recently disclosed that, as a result of the wrong economic policies of Ebrahim Raisi’s government and the rising prices of essential goods, bread consumption in low-income households has declined by 40%.
The state-run Jahan Sanat reported on October 28: “The adjustment of bread prices, ostensibly aimed at balancing the market, led in practice to inflation and an increase in bread prices. This trend is consistent across a majority of food items and consumable products, where they initially reduce the product size and volume before increasing their prices. People’s financial well-being is being influenced by authorities, who, irrespective of meager incomes for vulnerable populations, are considering price alterations and standardization. This happens despite the Minister of Economy having acknowledged a 40% decrease in bread consumption among different societal segments during the two years since the commencement of the 13th government.”
Bread serves as a staple food for impoverished households in Iran, and the current trend signals a concerning rise in malnutrition with far-reaching societal repercussions.
Zanjan School Poisoning Revives Fears of Targeted Attacks on Female Students
On Sunday, October 29, a considerable number of students from Kowsar Girls’ High School in Zanjan were admitted to the hospital due to poisoning. According to Hassan Esmkhani, the Public Relations Manager of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, 68 students were transported to four different hospitals in Zanjan. Esmkhani described the overall condition of the hospitalized students as “satisfactory.”
While he claimed the exact cause of the poisoning is still being investigated, he attributed the primary issue for these hospitalized students to “psychological stress and anxiety” resulting from the incident.
It’s worth noting that in the winter of 2022, there were multiple reports of alleged “chemical attacks” on schools and cases of “poisoning” involving a significant number of students in various cities across Iran.
Counter-Terror Chiefs on Alert for Iranian Activity in UK Exploiting Gaza War
British counter-terrorism officers are monitoring closely if Iran will try to exploit the Israel-Hamas war for its own ends in the UK, amid wider anxieties that Tehran is an increasing security menace to dissidents and critics.
Concerns about Russia and China are well established, but Iran’s campaign of intimidation and harassment has been the most visible development in the domestic threat picture over the last 12 months.
The fear now is whether Iran will seek to encourage radical groups or even terrorist activities in the UK as Israel’s deadly bombardment and ground assault of Gaza continues, although it is not clear there is any evidence of this to date. “We’re alive to the risk,” one source said.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Why Iran’s People Aren’t Fooled by the Regime’s War Propaganda
On October 27, Ahmad Alamolhoda, Khamenei’s representative and Friday prayer leader in Mashhad, said, “Some of the poisonous melodies that are being played around us now… It is truly regrettable…. Now it’s no longer about Israel and Palestine. Brothers and sisters! It’s Islam against heretics. Heretics stand on one side, and Islam on the other. And since one side is Islam and we are also Muslims, we are also on one side of the front.”
Regime-affiliated journalist Mohammad Gouchani expressed this fear and concern in a television conversation and told the Ofogh Network on October 16, “In general, I can say that I feel that the issue of Palestine is no longer a priority for our people.”
Iran: Rebellious Youth Target Judiciary Center in Khorasan Razavi
On October 26, Iran’s regime hanged five Baluch prisoners in Birjand Central Prison as part of its killing spree and heightened rate of executions. Similar group executions were carried out in the previous weeks.
Iran’s Regime is Seizing Farmers’ Lands to Expand its Housing Empire
In May 2023, the Iranian regime’s media reported the confiscation of 18 million hectares of agricultural land. This sweeping move included small plots of land owned by the country’s deprived farmers. Anyone lacking ownership documents issued by the current regime had their land seized.
Even farmers who possessed old ownership documents supported by ample evidence faced discrimination and injustice. The regime’s true intentions behind this new act of corruption have now been revealed by their own media.
It has become evident that the regime confiscated agricultural land by force to construct new settlements on lands that have been used for the country’s agriculture for generations.
Executions Increase in October 2023
Executions in Iran have become increasingly rampant under Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian regime’s President, as the government fears an outbreak of protests by a disgruntled public.
Since January, the Iranian regime has executed more than 600, including political prisoners and women. October saw a drastic increase in the use of the death penalty. Here is an infographic to show the rise in executions in Iran.
IranHRM calls on the UN Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, and all defenders of human rights to condemn the rising trend of executions in Iran and compel the regime to stop this inhuman practice.
Parliament Research: Mismanagement Is Main Cause of Iran’s Water Crisis
The United Nations’ index on water conditions indicates that Iran is facing a severe water crisis, and the central plateau of Iran is experiencing absolute water scarcity. Government officials attribute the current conditions to factors such as low precipitation in recent years or high consumption, but the regime’s Majlis (parliament) Research Center has emphasized that mismanagement has played a significant role in this situation.
The Majlis Research Center has also stated that if the goal is self-sufficiency in producing the necessary food products for Iran’s population, the current pattern does not have sufficient water resources to support it.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – October 30, 2023
