THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:30 PM
U.S. Targets Al-Ashtar Brigades Operatives
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking action in coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain against key Iran-based operatives and a financial facilitator for designated terrorist group Al-Ashtar Brigades. The Department of State designated Al-Ashtar Brigades as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2018.
“Today’s action, taken in coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain, underscores our collective commitment to disrupting Iran’s destabilizing forces and threats, particularly those which threaten our partners in the region and around the world,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.
Transportation Fares Soar in Tehran, Taxi Rates Surge by 45%
In a recent announcement, the state-run Tasnim News Agency reported that taxi fares in Tehran are set to surge by 45% starting from the beginning of the Iranian new year, which falls on March 21, 2024.
The decision was made during a session held by the Tehran City Council. Alongside the increase in taxi fares, other urban transportation costs are also set to rise:
- Metro ticket prices will witness a 30% hike.
- Bus ticket prices for BRT lines will increase by 21%.
- Regular bus ticket prices will see a 30% uptick.
This move is likely to exacerbate tensions, considering that just last year, urban transportation fares were raised by nearly 50%. With these additional increases, citizens will be grappling with a substantial surge in transportation costs. This could potentially fuel further social unrest and unexpected protests in the months ahead.
UPDATE: 2:00 PM
US-British Forces Strike Houthi Targets, Killing 11, Yemen Says
ADEN, Yemen, March 11 (Reuters) – Airstrikes attributed to a U.S.-British coalition hit port cities and small towns in western Yemen on Monday, killing at least 11 people and injuring 14 while defending commercial shipping, a spokesperson for Yemen’s internationally recognized government told Reuters.
At least 17 airstrikes were reported in the country, including in the principal port city of Hodeidah and at Ras Issa Port, according to Al Masirah, the main Houthi-run television news outlet.
The strikes come just days after the first civilian fatalities and vessel loss since the Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking commercial shipping in November in solidarity with the Palestinians under attack by Israel. The strikes also coincide with the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting for Muslims.
Meeting With US Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, Chair of House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
On Thursday, March 7, 2024, Maryam Rajavi had an online meeting with Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart to discuss the current human rights violations in Iran and the ongoing uprising and resistance of the Iranian people.
During the meeting, Maryam Rajavi elaborated on the volatile situation within Iranian society, highlighting the widespread boycott of the regime’s fraudulent elections. She emphasized despite facing extensive repression from the ruling religious fascism ruling Iran the Iranian people had unequivocally rejected the sham elections, demonstrating their fervent desire to overthrow the regime.
Meeting With US Congressman Richard Mccormick, Member of The Foreign Affairs Committee And Subcommittee on The Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
On Thursday, March 7, 2024, Maryam Rajavi met via a video link with US Congressman Richard McCormick.
During the meeting, Maryam Rajavi emphasized that the regime was currently facing its weakest and most critical conditions. The recent disastrous setback experienced by Khamenei in his fraudulent election highlighted the strong desire of the people of Iran for the regime’s overthrow. It has become increasingly evident to the world that the Iranian regime serves as the primary source of war and terrorism. Its persistent warmongering aims to conceal the ongoing conflict between the people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance on the one hand, and the mullahs’ religious dictatorship on the other.
How Alejo Vidal Quadras Foiled The Iranian Regime’s Plot To Intimidate The Supporters Of The Resistance
After recovering from his wounds, Dr. Alejo Vidal Quadras, former Vice President of the European Parliament, who was targeted by a terrorist attack orchestrated by the Iranian regime in Madrid last November, pledged to continue his fight against the Iranian regime with greater motivation, more energy, stronger determination, and a higher level of commitment than ever before. His activities over the past week serve as a testament to his resilience and resolve.
On March 1, Dr. Vidal Quadras participated in a conference titled “Iran: Resistance against Religious Despotism, Judiciary Executioners, and the Battle against State Terrorism” held in Paris.
After Iran’s Sham Elections, The ‘King’ In Exile Should Be Seen For What He Is: A Useful Idiot For The Tyrannical Mullahs
The charade of alleged ‘elections’ in Iran took place on March 1. Despite repeated appeals by the Supreme Leader and his cronies, the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people stayed away. The boycott was nationwide, with the leading candidate in Tehran securing less than eight percent of the votes by those eligible to cast their ballots.
Quick to exploit the mass boycott of the election, spin doctors for Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah of Iran, claimed the majority of Iranians clearly longed for the restoration of the monarchy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Like the famous tale by Hans Christian Andersen about the Emperor who has no clothes, Reza Pahlavi continues to stride naked across the world stage, naively believing he is wearing the resplendent robes of a monarch.
Iranian Regime Reduces Workers’ Livelihood Basket, Sparking Union Backlash
Members of Iran’s Supreme Labor Council’s Wage Committee are criticizing the government’s attempt to reduce the scope of the “workers’ livelihood basket” used to determine minimum wage increases.
According to the Khabaronline website, Alireza Mirghafari, a committee member, said essential items were removed from the basket despite union insistence on their inclusion. This reduces the overall value of the minimum wage increase.
Mirghafari emphasized that excluding these items significantly impacts the minimum subsistence amount. He estimates the reduction could be over two to three million tomans.
Iran’s Regime Draws Money From Pension Funds Without Notifying Retirees
While Iranian media have reported that the government deducted 10 million rials from the pensions of retirees in March, the head of the Retirees Association of the Social Security Organization says they were supposed to pay the debts of retirees of this organization to the “Petrochemical Shares.”
In this regard, Parsineh newspaper wrote: Retirees’ March salaries have been deposited under conditions where, without notification and permission, 10 million rials (approximately $17 which is around one-eighth of the minimum wage for workers) have been deducted from their accounts, and text messages have been sent by the Retirees’ High Association of Social Security to retirees and pensioners, stating that the Social Security Organization is in the process of creating a cooperative company for retirees and investing in the shares of companies. This process will be realized through participation in the auction with the allocation of 150 million rials (approximately $252) in cash deductible from the March pension.
Iranian Authorities Set 30-Million-Rial Fine for Violating Hijab Rules
Babak Negahdari, the head of the Research Center of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (Parliament), has defended the imposition of a “cash fine” for opponents of mandatory hijab instead of dealing with them through the Morality Police. However, the spokesperson for the regime’s State Security Forces (SSF) says that such an order has not been communicated yet. Negahdari, in a conversation with the state-run ILNA news agency on March 10, admitted that the Morality Police led to “clashes in the public sphere of society” and added that the images of police officers’ confrontation with women “were being exploited by enemies of the revolution and Iran.”
He stated that the Majlis took action to “eliminate the Morality Police and replace it with cash fines to remove the undesirable images created by the clashes in the public sphere.”