THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 12:30 PM
Treasury Targets Companies and Vessels Behind Illicit Houthi Shipments
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning ten individuals, entities, and vessels, including tanker captains, in multiple jurisdictions that have engaged in the illicit transport of oil and other commodities, including for the network of Houthi financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal. This action targets maritime shipping and financial facilitators, several vessel managers and owners, and a company involved in forging shipping documents. Today’s action, the seventh round of sanctions targeting the network of Sa’id al-Jamal since October 2023, underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to isolating and disrupting the financing of international terrorist groups such as the Houthis.
“The Houthis continue to leverage an expansive support network to facilitate their illicit activities, including hiding the origin of cargo, forging shipping documents, and providing services to sanctioned vessels,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “As we demonstrated with our military strikes last week, the United States government is committed to disrupting and degrading the Houthis’ ability to engage in attacks against commercial shipping and naval vessels, as well as target those who seek to facilitate these activities.”
UPDATE: 9:00 AM
Iran’s Water Crisis: A Looming Hydrological Drought and Its Impacts
Firooz Ghasemzadeh, spokesperson for Iran’s water industry, recently announced that the country continues to grapple with a severe hydrological drought. Six provinces, including Tehran, Bushehr, Qazvin, Fars, Semnan, Chaharmahal, and Bakhtiari, are currently experiencing significant water stress. Ghasemzadeh highlighted that over 80% of Iran falls within a dry climate zone, exacerbating the water scarcity issues.
Ghasemzadeh pointed out a troubling 19% decline in rainfall in Tehran compared to historical averages over the past 55 years. This decline has been particularly acute over the last three consecutive wet years, contributing to a critical reduction in water resources. The flow of most rivers in Iran was nearly zero until recent months, leading to alarmingly low water levels in many of the country’s dams.
Widespread Corruption in Iran’s Football League
The state-run Jam-e Jam newspaper, linked with the official state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), on Sunday, June 9, revealed shocking confessions by Khodadad Afsharian, the former head of the Referees Committee of the Football Federation, regarding widespread corruption in Iranian football. Afsharian, who is currently in detention, has confessed to at least 15 cases of match-fixing in the Premier League and Division One and has revealed the involvement of some referees and assistant referees in determining the outcomes of matches. According to informed sources, these referees will soon be summoned to court to respond to their charges.
The Iran Varzeshi newspaper, also quoting Jam-e Jam, has revealed more details of these confessions. According to this report, Afsharian named several referees and assistant referees in the Premier League as being involved in match-fixing, admitting that these acts have disrupted the dynamics of the Premier League and Division One in recent years.
Iranian Regime Presidential Election Candidates Trimmed To 6, Mostly Khamenei Loyalists
The Iranian regime’s election headquarters announced that six of the individuals who registered for the fourteenth presidential election have been “qualified.” The candidates are Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Masoud Pezeshkian, Saeed Jalili, Alireza Zakani, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi. The upcoming election has been described by users and political observers with terms such as “demonstrative military parade,” “electoral circus,” “stand-up comedy,” and “comedy show.”
According to Mohsen Eslami, the spokesman for the Iranian regime’s election headquarters, on Sunday, June 9, 80 people had registered for candidacy in the election that is supposed to determine Ebrahim Raisi’s successor, of which six were approved.
Pourmohammadi: Disqualified in 2024, Endorsed for Brutal Past by Guardian Council
After extensive deliberations, Khamenei finally pulled six individuals from the Guardian Council’s magic box, with Mostafa Pourmohammadi being one of them. In this piece, we will take a look at the crime-ridden life of Mostafa Pourmohammadi. Despite being disqualified for the Assembly of Experts election in February 2024, Khamenei had to certify him as a criminal arm this time. Examining Mostafa Pourmohammadi’s life is crucial as, like Raisi, he has always been a trusted confidant of Khomeini and Khamenei. His countless crimes include the rape of imprisoned girls before execution, overseeing the execution of numerous prisoners in Mashhad, and being a member of the Death Committee in 1988.
Mostafa Pourmohammadi is an advisor to the Chief Justice and the Secretary-General of the Combatant Clergy Association. He was one of the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre, in which 30,000 political prisoners were executed.
Vancouver, Canada—June 8, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally and Call for Participation in Berlin Gathering
Vancouver, Canada—June 8, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They also protested against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Heidelberg, Germany—June 8, 2024: MEK Supporters Organize an Exhibition and Call for Participation in Berlin Gathering
Heidelberg, Germany—June 8, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They also protested against the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – June 10, 2024