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UPDATE: 9:00 PM
Iran’s Capacity To Move Oil Reliant On Malaysian Providers, US Official Says
The United States sees Iran’s capacity to move its oil as reliant on service providers based in Malaysia, with oil being transferred near Singapore and throughout the region, the U.S. Treasury Department’s top sanctions official said on Tuesday. Brian Nelson, Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, was speaking during a four-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia, which the department said aimed to advance its work in countering financing and revenue generation by Iran and its proxies.
The trip comes as the Treasury increases its focus on financing for militant groups routed through Southeast Asia, including through fundraising efforts and illicit sales of Iranian oil.
I Was Shot in Face By An Iranian Assassin – If We Don’t Stop This Poisonous Regime They Will Launch Attacks Across West
A TOP politician who narrowly survived an assassination attempt he believes was ordered by the Iranian regime has warned there’ll be more attacks in the West. Dr Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca was shot in the face outside his apartment building in Madrid, Spain, last November by a hitman on a motorcycle.
Speaking during a visit to London today to attend an event held by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), for which he was provided a heavy security detail by the British government, Vidal-Quadras described the day of the assassination attempt on November 9, 2023.
It’s taken the brave politician – who has been a long-time supporter of the NCRI, a political group calling for regime change in Iran – six months to recover – but he said he was left with serious psychical and psychological injuries. “The worst part to be frank was the psychological part because after this attack I was in a state of post-traumatic shock,” he said.
UPDATE: 1:00 PM
Iran Protests: As Rapper Toomaj Salehi And Nika Shakarami, 16, Have Discovered, Being Young And Opinionated Can Lead To A Death Sentence
In the same week as an explosive leaked document from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) revealed the murder in custody of a 16-year-old girl, a revolutionary court in Isfahan sentenced a young rapper to death for making a fool of the regime in his lyrics. The combined scandal has exposed the theocratic regime’s toxic anti-youth culture.
The leaked IRGC document – extensively analysed and verified by the BBC – shows how the teenage girl Nika Shakarami was involved in the nationwide protests in September 2022, following the death of the young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, who was beaten to death in custody by Tehran’s notorious ‘morality police’ for not wearing her hijab properly.
There are increasing signs that the brutal repression of women and young people by the mullahs has backfired. Resistance units are burgeoning across Iran, with crowds of protesters chanting “Women, Resistance, Freedom” and demanding the overthrow of the theocratic regime and the installation of a secular, democratic republic.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM
Foreign Intelligence Services Are Contracting Out Killings To Gangs
The arrests of three suspected hitmen accused of killing a B.C. Sikh leader highlight an emerging security problem: foreign intelligence services are contracting their dirty work to the criminal underworld.
Governments are increasingly accused of trying to silence and kill opponents outside their borders, and they are relying more and more on crime groups to do so, officials and experts told Global News.
Iran’s intelligence service was recently accused of hiring Canadian Hell’s Angels to kill dissidents in the United States. Indian intelligence, meanwhile, allegedly employed a drug trafficker to kill a U.S. Sikh activist.
“We’re seeing this with the Iranians as well. They’re hiring people connected to organized crime, private investigators — even the Russians, to a certain extent.”
Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has used gangs to target regime opponents in Europe and North America, including dissidents, activists, and journalists.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM
Looting The Society under Pretext of Hijab
Amidst the turmoil of the Iranian regime’s campaign to impose mandatory hijab, retirees in different cities are chanting, “Their slogan is hijab, but their action is plunder and theft!”
These slogans reflect the deep awareness of the oppressed and awakened segments of Iran, who know well the hidden objectives behind the underlying motives of the regime’s so-called hijab campaign. By enforcing the hijab, the regime seeks to escalate the atmosphere of suppression to hinder the eruption of social protests against systematic theft by state and regime officials.
It is significant that Kazem Sadiqi, the Secretary of the Committee for Encouraging of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the body that enforces the hijab rules, was involved in a recently revealed embezzlement case that involved a cherry orchard.
The Repressive Hijab Crackdown Continues, with the State Security Force Linking all CCTV Cameras
A member of the mullahs’ parliament has declared that all CCTV cameras in both government and private offices will be linked to the State Security Force (SSF). This move aims to facilitate the thorough identification of women who remove their hijab in public spaces.
Amirhossein Bankipour, a member of the regime’s parliament, made this announcement regarding the Hijab and Chastity Bill.
During a speech covered by the state-run media, Amirhossein Bankipour stated: “Our cultural solution in this bill is long-term, while our economic solutions serve as mid-term auxiliary measures. We have categorized the punishments accordingly. The lowest tier of punishment involves fining passers-by and individuals who remove their hijab in virtual spaces.
Rising Rates of Suicides Among Female Doctors in Iran
In recent years, Iran has witnessed a distressing surge in the rates of suicides among medical professionals, particularly female doctors. The gravity of this issue poses a significant threat to the stability of Iran’s healthcare system.
According to a report by Donya-e Eqtesad, there has been a staggering 130% increase in suicides among female doctors and 40% in male doctors’ suicides. Donya-e Eqtesad also mentioned that the suicide of doctors had increased fivefold in the last few years.
Before this in January, the state-run Etemad daily wrote in a report that in 10 months, 16 medical assistants committed suicide.
Iran’s Secret Drone Factory Training Hezbollah for Attacks on Israel, Reveals Telegraph
According to a report by The Telegraph, Iran has been rapidly expanding a top-secret drone factory near Qom, where they are training Hezbollah fighters to carry out drone attacks on northern Israel. Leaked classified documents from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) show the facility has tripled in size since its establishment in 2006, despite facing US sanctions.
The drone HQ, owned by Qods Aviation Industry Company (blacklisted by the US since 2013), has significantly expanded its runway from 500 meters in 2007 to 1,500 meters in 2020, allowing for the operation of larger, longer-range drones like those used in the recent attack on Israel.
Intelligence gathered by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) reveals the Gangine Center trains leaders of regional terror groups, most notably Hezbollah. It serves as a training ground for both drone testing and pilot training, with reports suggesting militants are trained in small groups.
Iran’s Drug Crisis Deepens Despite Minister’s Claims
While the Iranian Minister of Health, Bahram Eynollahi, insists on a solution to the country’s drug problem, reports paint a grim picture of a worsening crisis and significant challenges faced by pharmacies.
Despite public complaints about the lack of essential medicines, especially for special needs patients, Minister Eynollahi, on May 1st, criticized the increasing preference for imported drugs. He claimed the ministry’s focus is on supporting domestic knowledge-based companies to address the shortage.
However, Eynollahi’s criticism rings hollow in a situation where the scarcity extends beyond imported medications to domestically produced ones. The disrupted drug distribution cycle has created significant difficulties for both pharmacies and manufacturers, leading to the closures of some pharmacies since late 2023.
Iranian Women Face Sharply Rising Unemployment Rates
Official statistics contradict claims by Iranian officials, revealing a significant increase in the unemployment rate of women aged 15-24 during winter 2023 compared to the previous year. Lorestan province, for instance, saw a staggering 218% rise, reaching an alarming 86.2% unemployment within this age group.
In late 2023, the Iranian Statistics Center reported a 27.8% unemployment rate for women and a 13% rate for men in 2022, highlighting the stark gender disparity in the Iranian workforce.
The Eco Iran website further analyzed this crisis, attributing it to a key factor in the increased migration of young Iranian women. Their report found that 36.4% of women seeking work in this age group remained unemployed, compared to only 19.5% of men in the same situation last winter.
Outcry Erupts as Notorious Iranian Corruptor Receives Lenient Sentence
While Iranians were reeling from the tragic deaths of Nika Shakarami during the 2022 protests and the imminent execution of Toomaj Salehi, the regime’s judiciary made a shocking announcement. Babak Zanjani, a notorious figure at the center of the worst corruption case in Iranian history, was granted amnesty despite facing charges of “corruption on earth” – a crime typically punishable by death. Zanjani’s lawyer claimed that his client’s assets were returned to the country, leading the Supreme Leader to grant amnesty and reduce the death sentence to 20 years. With over 10 years already served, Zanjani is now eligible for parole.
Iran’s Gold Merchants on Strike in Several Cities
Reports and images circulated on social media indicate the expansion of protests and strikes by gold sellers in several cities in Iran.
On Sunday, May 5, videos and images were released showing gold sellers in several cities of Iran joining the strike of merchants in this profession and closing their shops. Some gold sellers in the Tehran market, starting from April 28, protested against the regime’s parliamentary tax resolution and the reactivation of the “Comprehensive Trade System” and went on strike, closing their shops.
In the following days, gold sellers in the markets of Tabriz, Hamedan, and Isfahan also joined this strike.
Mahmoud Mehrabi, A Political Prisoner, Was Sentenced to Execution in The Court of Isfahan
On Sunday, May 5, 2024, Mahmoud Mehrabi, a 35-year-old political prisoner from Mobarakeh city, who is currently held in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, was sentenced to execution by Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan on charges of “corruption on earth.” This verdict has been issued after more than 15 months of uncertainty.
Babak Eslami Farsani, one of Mr. Mehrabi’s defense lawyers, wrote on his X page, “My client, Mahmoud Mehrabi, has been sentenced to execution by the immediate verdict of Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan on charges of corruption on earth. The notification of the verdict was issued without any attachments, which my colleague became aware of by attending the branch and studying the case. Hopefully, the serious flaws in the verdict will be addressed and taken into consideration by the Supreme Court of the country.”
Germany—May 4, 2024: MEK Supporters Rallied in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Kassel in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Germany—May 4, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies and exhibitions in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Kassel to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Bremen, Germany—May 4, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Bremen, Germany—May 4, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally and exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
