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UPDATE: 10:00 PM
Global Condemnation for IRGC Missile Strikes
Recent missile attacks by the Iranian regime are sparking international condemnation. Faced with domestic pressure following recent setbacks in the Middle East, the Revolutionary Guards claim to have targeted spy headquarters with ballistic missiles, though evidence suggests otherwise.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the missile attack on Erbil, denouncing it as a violation of sovereignty. The Kurdistan Regional Government reports civilian casualties, with four killed and six injured. Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, condemned the missile strike and pledged continued international engagement to stop such attacks on Kurdistan.
The UN in Iraq strongly condemned the regime’s missile attack on Erbil, criticizing actions that undermine Iraqi sovereignty. The U.S. State Department condemned the attacks, extending condolences to the victims’ families.
On behalf of the Iranian Resistance, NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi called for UN Security Council action, urging punitive measures against Iran under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The global response underscores the severity of Tehran’s actions, facing widespread condemnation for its military aggression.
On behalf of the Iranian Resistance, I vehemently condemn the clerical regime’s attacks and aggression. Once more, I urge the @UN Security Council to castigate this regime and place it under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. #Iran pic.twitter.com/I2O9z24Yg7
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 16, 2024
Empty Malta-Flagged Bulk Carrier Hit by Missile off Yemen
DUBAI (Reuters) -An empty Malta-flagged bulk carrier was hit by a missile while heading north through the Red Sea, 76 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef, a security firm and two Greek shipping ministry sources said on Tuesday.
The Greek-owned vessel, the Zografia, was sailing from Vietnam to Israel with 24 crew on board and was empty of cargo when attacked, one of the Greek sources said.
The Iran-aligned Houthi group has threatened to expand the range of targets of its attacks in the Red Sea – which it says are a response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza – to include U.S. ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.
US CENTCOM Seizes Iranian Advanced Conventional Weapons Bound for Houthis
TAMPA, Fla. – On 11 January 2024, while conducting a flag verification, U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping.
U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller (ESB 3), supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components. Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense-associated components. Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea.
Tuesday Protests in Iran
In a wave of discontent sweeping across various cities in Iran, retired government employees and workers are taking to the streets to voice their frustrations over economic hardships. The protests are fueled by demands for higher pensions and better working conditions in the face of skyrocketing living costs.
In Hamedan, western Iran, retired government employees gathered in front of the government retirement fund office, emphasizing their right to increased pensions as mandated by the country’s laws. Despite regulations stipulating adjustments to pensions based on the cost of living, the government has refused to implement such changes, leading to mounting discontent among retirees.
January 16—Sanandaj, western #Iran
Retired government employees hold protest rally in front of the office of the government retirement fund, demanding higher pensions as the costs of living continue to soar.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/XN1TMWnh0o— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 16, 2024
Similar scenes unfolded in Sanandaj, Kangan, Shahrekord, Kermanshah, Qazvin, Ahvaz, and Yazd, where retirees held protest rallies outside government offices, underscoring their demands for higher pensions. The repeated emphasis on the government’s legal obligation to adjust pensions according to the rising costs of living reflects the deep-seated frustration among retirees who feel neglected in the face of economic challenges.
Furthermore, in Kangan, southern Iran, workers from the local cement factory initiated a strike, protesting against the non-payment and delays in their wages. The industrial action adds to the growing unrest as various sectors of the workforce demand fair compensation and improved working conditions.
January 16—Shahrekord, central #Iran
Retired government employees hold protest rallies, reiterating their demands for higher pensions according to the regime's own laws requiring the government adjust pensions according to costs of living.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/4Z3EBKfCNT— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 16, 2024
In Ahvaz, retired teachers and education workers resumed protest rallies, highlighting the regime’s persistent disregard for their calls for higher pensions. The nationwide protests underscore a broader dissatisfaction with the government’s economic policies, particularly its reluctance to address the financial struggles faced by retirees and workers amidst the soaring prices of essential goods.
As the discontent simmers across the country, the regime faces mounting pressure to address the grievances of its citizens, particularly those concerning economic stability and social welfare. The situation remains tense as protesters continue to voice their demands for much-needed relief in the face of a challenging economic landscape.
January 16—Kermanshah, western #Iran
Retired government employees and pensioners of the Social Security Organization hold protest rally, demanding higher pensions as the costs of living continue to soar.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/naVlZT05Ry— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 16, 2024
UPDATE: 11:30 AM
US Forces Recovered Iranian Warheads in Navy Seal Mission Gone Awry
American military personnel recovered Iranian-made missile warheads and related components during a ship-boarding mission near Somalia last week that disrupted the weapons resupply of militants in Yemen but left two elite Navy SEALs lost at sea, U.S. defense officials said.
Iran Strikes Targets in Northern Iraq and Syria as Regional Tensions Escalate
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iran fired missiles late Monday at what it claimed were Israeli “spy headquarters” near the U.S. Consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, and at targets linked to the extremist group Islamic State in northern Syria.
Four civilians were killed and six injured after missiles hit an upscale area near the consulate in Irbil, the seat of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, according to the security council of the Kurdish regional government.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that it had hit the headquarters of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, in the Kurdish region of Iraq. Another statement said it had fired a number of ballistic missiles at “terrorist operations,” including Islamic State targets, in Syria and destroyed them.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM
Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi Face New Charges
The Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Tehran has levied new charges against Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi. The two journalists were just released from Evin Prison on Sunday, January 14, 2023, each on a temporary bail of 10 billion Tomans.
The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has charged them with not covering their hair when walking out of prison. Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were welcomed by dozens of happy friends and relatives after spending some 16 months in jail.
Niloufar Hamedi, a photojournalist for Shargh newspaper, took and published the first photo of Mahsa Amini in a coma at the hospital. Elaheh Mohammadi, a journalist for Ham-Mihan newspaper, published a report on Mahsa’s funeral and an interview with her father.
Decoding Tehran’s Strategy In the Middle East
The Iranian regime has adopted an aggressive stance, both domestically and internationally. At home, its survival strategy relies on suppression, limiting dissent and curtailing any form of opposition. Simultaneously, it extends its influence abroad by supporting terrorism through proxy militias, contributing to a complex web of regional conflicts. These actions have prompted a global call for strategic responses that go beyond traditional military solutions.
Effectively addressing the Iranian regime’s threat requires a strategic shift beyond conventional containment. The cyclical nature of Tehran’s behavior, driven by internal vulnerabilities, calls for a more nuanced and comprehensive policy in the West. While the regime’s lobbyists argue that decisive confrontation exacerbates crises, historical evidence suggests that it prompts a strategic retreat, emphasizing the need for a clear and assertive stance against Tehran’s aggression. The global community must recognize the fundamental pillars of the regime’s survival strategy – internal suppression and external turmoil – to pave the way for lasting peace and stability.
How The Policies of Iran’s Regime are Affecting Life Expectancy
The Iranian regime is playing a pivotal role in exacerbating the plight of its citizens. The tangible repercussions of these policies are evident in the distressing increase of mortality rates and overall decline of health conditions across the nation.
Wielding considerable influence over the economic landscape, the regime’s decisions have contributed to the impoverishment of its people. As economic challenges mount, the Iranian populace grapples with income reduction, soaring inflation, and a disconcerting rise in the cost of essential healthcare services.
The regime’s National Organization for Civil Registration has reported an average age of 66.03 years for individuals who died in Iran during the initial nine months of 2023.
Iranian Political Prisoner Saeed Masouri: We Are Not Afraid of the Sea of Blood
Saeed Masouri, an Iranian political prisoner serving a life sentence, has written a letter titled “Oh Lovers, Oh Lovers, Today We and You Are Here.”
The letter is written from Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj to commemorate the beginning of his twenty-fourth year of uninterrupted imprisonment, and it reflects on the painful experiences in the prisons of the Iranian regime. In the letter, Saeed Masouri emphasizes, “They cannot scare us with this sea of blood.”
He writes that for twenty-four years, he has endured the weight of the oppressive walls and bars like the child of Mary carrying his cross, and he has lived moment by moment in the terrifying atmosphere of the prison.
Ten Political Prisoners Awaiting Implementation of Their Death Sentences
Iran’s judiciary has upheld the death sentences of ten political prisoners. The ten prisoners are awaiting the implementation of their sentences. The families of some of these prisoners held a sit-in outside the Evin Prison and demanded a halt to the execution of their loved ones. The names of these ten political prisoners are as follows.
Mojahed Kourkouri, one of the detainees of the nationwide protests in 2022 in Izeh, is currently imprisoned in Shaiban Prison in Ahvaz. His death sentence was upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court on December 23, 2023.
Reza Rasaei, another detainee of the nationwide protests in 2022 in Ardabil, is currently imprisoned in Diesel Abad Prison in Kermanshah. His death sentence has also been upheld by Branch 17 of the Supreme Court on December 24, 2023.
Amersfoort, The Netherlands — January 13, 2024: MEK Supporters Organized an Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Amersfoort, The Netherlands — January 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a photo exhibition of the martyrs of the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, expressing solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
Heidelberg, Germany—January 13, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally and Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Supporting #FreeIranTelethon
Heidelberg, Germany—January 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to support the Iranian Revolution.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – January 15, 2023
