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UPDATE: 9:00 PM
US Takes Out Explosive-Laden Houthi Surface Drones
U.S. Central Command carried out a strike against two surface drones carrying explosives Monday afternoon, as the Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea continue to threaten Navy ships and commercial vessels in the region.
The “self-defense” strike happened after U.S. forces determined that the unmanned vessels were carrying explosives and posed a threat to ships in the area. CENTCOM identified the drones in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen before taking them out.
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM tweeted.
Questions Arise About Düsseldorf Company’s Alleged Connections with Iran
A Düsseldorf-based company is under scrutiny for its potential association with an Iranian holding company sanctioned by the United States. Internal documents, acquired by WDR and SZ, prompt inquiries into whether the Revolutionary Guards could be benefiting from these business dealings.
Situated at the exit of the A52 motorway in an industrial area in the west of Düsseldorf, the International Business Center houses GIC International GmbH at Monschauer Strasse 12. The company, with a modest online presence, showcases images of power plants and industrial facilities. With 30 years of experience in international trade, the company claims business partnerships in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Official figures indicate that the company generated approximately 600 million euros in sales between 2017 and 2021.
Interestingly, the Düsseldorf-based company, founded in 2012 according to the commercial register, traces its roots directly to funding from Tehran. Behind the scenes is the Ghadir Investment Company, a group with holdings in over 100 Iranian companies across sectors like oil, chemicals, and construction, facing long-standing sanctions from the United States. U.S. authorities assert that Ghadir Investment is part of a network that includes Iranian state security organs such as the Revolutionary Guards. The revelations raise concerns about potential connections between the Düsseldorf company and entities subject to international sanctions.
Tuesday Protests in Iran
Tehran: The Ahan Foroushan (Metal Market) in Tehran witnessed a fervent protest rally as residents voiced their discontent against government policies. The protesters highlighted issues concerning land confiscation and deprivation of basic rights, accusing the government of exploiting their wealth.
Contract workers of the oil sector also staged a demonstration outside the Oil Ministry, decrying their precarious employment conditions and lack of job security.
February 6—Tehran, #Iran
Contract workers of the oil sector hold rally in front of the Oil Ministry, protesting their contract status, poor work conditions, and lack of job security.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/d0rakpmMbS— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 6, 2024
Retirees of the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) joined the chorus of dissent, resuming their protest rallies in Tehran, demanding increased pensions and improved living standards.
Ahvaz: In southwest Iran, retired government employees took to the streets, demanding higher pensions in alignment with the country’s laws regarding cost-of-living adjustments.
Yazd: Retired teachers and education-sector employees in central Iran reiterated their demands for enhanced pensions and basic rights through protest rallies.
Kermanshah: Western Iran saw retired government employees convening weekly protest gatherings, echoing calls for increased pensions and improved living conditions.
Amidst the unrest, protesters expressed disillusionment with the electoral process, vowing to abstain from voting in future elections. The protests underscore widespread economic grievances across various sectors in Iran, reflecting deep-seated discontent with the regime’s policies.
February 6—Kermanshah, western #Iran
Retired government employees resume weekly protest rallies to reiterate their demands for higher pensions.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/NwKfF6PY2M— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 6, 2024
UPDATE: 1:00 PM
Iranian Internet Shutdowns Cost Over $920 Million in Damages: International Report
Independent international research findings on global internet disruptions indicate that the clerical regime in Iran incurred over $920 million in damages to the country due to repeated internet shutdowns in the past year alone.
This amount exceeds three times the budget of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology for the year 1402.
A report by the British organization Top10VPN, which monitors internet censorship worldwide, emphasizes that Iran ranks third globally in terms of annual losses resulting from internet shutdowns.
An examination of the country’s internet status in 2023 indicates that officials from the Ministry of Communications and related entities disconnected various parts of Iran’s internet for a total of 516 hours. International social media platforms were also filtered for 13,140 hours during this period.
US Defends Strikes Against Iran-backed Militias at UN Security Council Meeting
At a UN Security Council Briefing called by Russia on threats to international peace and security, Robert Wood, the Deputy Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, justified the US attacks in Syria and Iraq based on Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defense against armed attacks.
Wood said, “On February 2, and at President Biden’s direction, the United States conducted precision airstrikes on February 2 in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and affiliated militia groups. This necessary and proportionate action was taken in exercise of the United States’ inherent right of self-defense, as reflected in Article 51 of the UN Charter. Less than a week ago, on January 28, Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq attacked a Jordanian facility hosting U.S. forces taking part in the fight against ISIS/Da’esh. Three U.S. service members lost their lives that day, and many others were wounded. This loss is devastating. This is unacceptable. And attacks like it cannot continue.”
Iran-backed Militia Leaders Killed in Iraq
In recent updates from Iraq, Arab media outlets have reported the killing of a leader and mercenaries associated with the clerical regime in US attacks. According to Sky News Arabic, the Third Armored Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) issued a statement confirming the death of Hassan Abbas al-Baldawi, the brigade’s commander, due to injuries sustained from US bombardment near the Hashd al-Shaabi center in western Anbar Province.
Additionally, on Monday, February 5th, Sky News reported the killing of a high-ranking member of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, an organization affiliated with the Iranian regime. Najee al-Kaabi was shot dead by unidentified assailants while driving a car, according to the report.
Najee al-Kaabi, known by the alias “Abu Ali,” served as a spokesperson for Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, a proxy group supported by the Iranian regime, which has targeted US military bases in Iraq on multiple occasions.
The United States designated the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq group and its leaders as foreign terrorist organizations and sanctioned them in 2020.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM
Iran’s Youth Respond to the Regime’s Murder of Baluch Activist and Crackdown on Political Prisoners
On Thursday, February 1, the lifeless body of 19-year-old Baluch activist Sepehr Shirani was found in Zahedan, two days after being arrested by the regime’s intelligence agents. The regime murdered Sepehr for his criticism of regime authorities. The regime hoped to silence other youths in their opposition to the tyrannical rule of the mullahs.
But on Friday night, the rebellious youths of Zahedan targeted one of the regime’s centers of repression in the memory of Sepehr and other youths murdered by the regime. The building was targeted with explosions that were heard across the neighborhood.
Iranian Political Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Protest to Uptick in Executions
Continuing the protests against the issuance and implementation of death sentences in Iran, 439 political and civil activists have signed a statement demanding a halt to executions in Iran. The signatories of this statement expressed solidarity with the families of those executed in recent weeks and showed support for the global campaign “No to Execution.”
According to these activists, the death sentences are driven more by revenge and are leading to the prosecution of young protesters.
The signatories of the statement believe that most recent executions should not have taken place even according to the judicial standards of the Iranian regime.
Iran’s Internet Restrictions: A Costly Toll on Economy and Human Rights
A recent report published on January 2 by Top10VPN sheds light on the extensive internet restrictions imposed by the Iranian regime, revealing not only a significant economic impact but also raising concerns about human rights abuses.
According to the report, Iran has witnessed a staggering 516 hours of internet blackout and 12,624 hours of social media shutdown. The total cost of these internet restrictions is estimated at a whopping $920.3 million. This economic toll is a result of the prolonged limitations on digital connectivity and online communication platforms.
The Unfolding Water Catastrophe in Iran
A former senior official of the Iranian regime has disclosed that despite numerous promises made in the past decades to restore Iran’s environment, the country currently lacks ‘a single flowing river, living wetland, or watery lake.’
Issa Kalantari, the former head of the Environmental Protection Organization, told the website ‘Khabar Online’: ‘The significant crime’ occurring is ‘underground,’ and almost no one is paying attention to it, including officials from the Ministry of Energy, the government, and the general public.
He added: ‘Currently, there is a rush to draw underground water to the surface and evaporate it, seemingly to support agricultural development.’
Düsseldorf Company Under Scrutiny for Suspected Iran Sanctions Violations
A Düsseldorf-based company, GIC International GmbH, is now under investigation amid suspicions that it may be conducting business on behalf of an Iranian holding company, Ghadir Investment, that has long been sanctioned by the United States. Internal documents, obtained by WDR and SZ, have raised concerns about potential ties to Iranian state security organs, specifically the Revolutionary Guard, and suggest a possible violation of international sanctions.
GIC International, situated in the International Business Center near the A52 motorway exit, has been linked to Ghadir Investment, which is reportedly involved in over 100 companies in Iran across various sectors, including oil, chemicals, and construction. The Ghadir Investment Company has been a subject of U.S. sanctions for years, with alleged connections to Iranian state security organs.
Economic Tsunami on the Horizon: Iran’s Currency Crisis Unveiled
According to an announcement by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Iran regime’s deposits with foreign banks decreased by $3.5 billion to approximately $12.7 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2023. This significant reduction, particularly in deposits with non-banking financial institutions, is linked by experts to the transfer of Iran’s blocked assets from South Korea to Qatar. Despite the Iranian regime’s claims of full access to the transferred resources in Qatar, delays have been reported in accessing the country’s foreign exchange resources. Ehsan Khandouzi, the regime’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, acknowledged delays in opening LCs (Letters of Credit), pointing out that the first LC has been initiated, but others have faced delays.
Journalist Nasrin Hassani to Serve Her 7 Months in Jail
Nasrin Hassani, the managing editor of the Siyahat-e Sharq weekly publication, was summoned on Sunday, February 4, 2024, to serve her seven-month sentence in prison.
Nasrin Hassani is from Bojnourd, the capital of the Northern Khorasan Province, in northeastern Iran.
In December, Branch 103 of the Criminal Court 2 of Bojnourd County convicted Ms. Hassani of disseminating falsities and sentenced her to seven months in jail. She was also fined one million Tomans for failing to observe the compulsory Hijab in public.
Montreal, Canada—February 3, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Condemning the Wave of Executions in Iran
Montreal, Canada—February 3, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in subzero freezing weather to express support for the Iranian Revolution. Iranians strongly condemned the wave of executions in Iran by the mullahs’ regime.
Vancouver, Canada—February 3, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Condemning the Wave of Executions in Iran
Vancouver, Canada—February 3, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express support for the Iranian Revolution. Iranians strongly condemned the wave of executions in Iran by the mullahs’ regime.
Oslo, Norway—February 3, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Condemning the Wave of Executions in Iran
Oslo, Norway—February 3, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in subzero freezing weather to express support for the Iranian Revolution. They condemned the wave of the brutal executions in Iran by the religious dictatorship.
Bournemouth, England—February 3, 2024: MEK Supporters Organize an Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Bournemouth, England—February 3, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition and petition collection in support of the Iranian Revolution. Organizers and British citizens condemned the wave of executions in Iran by the mullahs’ regime.
