THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 1:00 PM
Top Secret Iranian Drone Site Used By IRGC, Terror Proxies Exposed By Opposition Group
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), an exiled Iranian resistance group, provided a report to Fox News Digital presenting evidence of a top-secret unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) site in the Islamic Republic of Iran, north of Qom City in the Ganjine region.
According to the report, members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are trained to use “all kinds of drones” at the base, including the Mohajer series, manufactured by Qods Aviation Industry. Employees of Qods Aviation Industry also reportedly use the site to train small groups of Iranian proxy operatives of Hezbollah, as well as members of Iranian proxy groups from Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, to use the Mohajer-4 drone platform.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), based on information from the MEK, told Fox News Digital that the site is a proving ground for Mohajer-4, Mohajer-6, and Mohajer-10 drones.
UPDATE: 10:30 AM
FinCEN Issues Advisory on Iran-Backed Terrorist Organizations
WASHINGTON — Today, in light of intensified terrorist activity in the Middle East, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an Advisory to assist financial institutions in detecting potentially illicit transactions related to Islamic Republic of Iran-backed terrorist organizations. The Advisory highlights the means by which certain terrorist organizations receive support from Iran and describes several typologies these terrorist organizations use to illicitly access or circumvent the international financial system to raise, move, and spend funds. It also provides red flags that may assist financial institutions in identifying related suspicious activity.
“Terrorist organizations and activity supported by and aligned with Iran should not benefit from access to the U.S. or international financial systems,” said FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki. “As we witness continuing instability and violence in the Middle East, we are issuing this Advisory to help financial institutions protect the financial system from abuse by terrorists and to encourage financial institutions to stay vigilant in identifying and reporting related suspicious activity.”
How State Corruption Is Damaging Iran’s Economy
On April 27, Dideban Iran news website quoted Mohammad Hossein Azimi, the Secretary-General of “Islamic Iran Front”, as saying, “We have many people similar to Kazem Sediqi, but their issue has only become a media sensation. There are members within mafia groups, government forces, Hezbollah, and others whom I cannot elaborate on further.” Azimi was referring to Sediqi, a high-profile cleric in the regime who was recently involved in a major land embezzlement scandal in Ozgol.
This is just the latest admission from an Iranian official that indicates that all kinds of corrupt and criminal elements exist in the power structure of this regime, whose leaders pretend to be devoid of any sin.
As Azimi said in his interview, “The worst plague of the Islamic revolution in the past 45 years has been the issue of pretense, and this pretense has damaged of the nation and the country.”
UPDATE: 7:00 AM
Women’s Ward of Evin Prison: Three Political Prisoners Detained in Limbo
Three political prisoners are still detained in the women’s ward of Evin Prison under legally undecided conditions. Varisha Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi have been held in a state of limbo for more than 280 days since their arrests, and Atena Farghdani has been detained for 26 days in the women’s ward of Evin Prison in uncertain circumstances. Varisha Moradi is a women’s rights activist and a member of the Free Women’s Society of Eastern Kurdistan (KJAR). She was abducted on August 1, 2023, in Kermanshah, on her way to Sanandaj in western Iran.
She was transferred from the Sanandaj Intelligence Department detention center to Ward 209 of Evin Prison by the end of August. On December 26, 2023, after the interrogation process was completed, Moradi was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
Iran’s Stalled Economy: A Struggle for Sustainability
For decades, Iran’s economic performance has been far from satisfactory. While headline figures like the average economic growth rate might have looked acceptable between 1989 and 2017, a closer look reveals a troubling reality – a lack of productivity improvement. This fundamental weakness has severe consequences, turning economic underperformance into a ticking time bomb. Iran’s economic growth has been heavily reliant on capital account inflows. Periods with strong capital inflows saw sluggish growth, highlighting an unsustainable dependence on external factors. This vulnerability is particularly concerning considering Iran’s vast natural resources, talented population, and strategic geographical location. These advantages haven’t translated into stable, long-term growth. Instead, as capital inflows waned, Iran’s fragile growth sputtered and went into freefall.
Heightened Tensions: US Vows to Block Iran’s Nuclear Weapon Aspirations
Tensions are escalating between the United States and Iran regarding the latter’s nuclear program. Recent statements by Iranian officials raise concerns about potential policy shifts, prompting a firm response from the US State Department.
On May 9th, Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, hinted at a possible change in Iran’s nuclear stance if the country’s existence is threatened.
Matthew Miller, the US State Department spokesperson, condemned these remarks as irresponsible. Miller reiterated the US position that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon, emphasizing that diplomacy remains the preferred path forward. However, he stressed that all options are still on the table.
Price of Housing in Tehran at $1,340 Per Square Meter
Despite the housing market recession, the price of housing in Tehran increased in March 2024, with the average price of a square meter of residential units traded in the capital reaching 820 million rials (approximately $1,340).
According to media reports in Iran, the Central Bank’s Office of Economic Studies and Policies announced that in March, the number of residential apartments traded in the city of Tehran reached 1,500 units, indicating a 75.6% and 14.2% decrease compared to the previous month and the same month last year, respectively.
Execution of 40 Prisoners in Iran in Ten Days May 1-10, 2024
During the first ten days of May 2024, the Iranian judiciary carried out the execution sentences of 40 prisoners in Iranian prisons. On average, four prisoners are executed daily in Iran, which means that every six hours, one prisoner is executed in Iran. This comes at a time when compared to the ten days of April, the number of executions has grown close to 160 percent. The increase in the number of executions in Iran is highly concerning.
Among the executed individuals, there is also a political prisoner and a female prisoner. Over 90 percent of the executions during the first ten days of May have not been reported by any state media or institutions affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, and they have been carried out in silence. These executions have taken place in the prisons of Urmia, Semnan, Kerman, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, Zanjan, Tabriz, Qazvin, Shiraz, and Ardabil.
Cologne, Germany—May 8, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Cologne, Germany—May 8, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. While condemning the wave of criminal executions in Iran by the mullahs’ regime, they demanded the release of political prisoners and the abolition of cruel death sentences.
Berlin, Germany—May 8, 2024: MEK Supporters Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Berlin, Germany—May 8, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a book table and exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
