THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance – Day 169
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Friday, March 3, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
- Days: 169
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 664 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
March 3 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Protesters chanted: "This is the last message; the entire regime is the target!"#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/qICHspP3hF— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 3, 2023
Iran’s nationwide uprising marked its 169th day on Friday as protests by Iran’s Baluchis continued Friday with new rallies reported in Zahedan, the capital of the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan.
The brave residents took to the streets despite the regime’s extensive crackdown and arrests. Many carried placards reading “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the leader!” referring to the former and current dictators ruling Iran. Other slogans included “Death to Khamenei!,” “Death to the IRGC!,” “This is the last message, the entire regime is the target,” and “My martyred brother, I will avenge your blood.”
The people of #Iran should rise in other cities in step with our Baluch compatriots and give the criminal Khamenei an unforgettable lesson. pic.twitter.com/4R7YUsrEDX
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 3, 2023
Authorities dispatched many security units to Zahedan and severely disrupted internet access throughout the city in attempts aimed at preventing anti-regime rallies. There were also reports of regime security forces attacking protesters near the city’s Grand Makki Mosque, according to local activists.
March 3 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Footage showing regime security forces being dispatched from various parts of the city to surround the Grand Makki Mosque.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبرpic.twitter.com/gsg2UXrFVO— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 3, 2023
Further reports from Zahedan indicate security forces attacked worshippers and personnel of the city’s Grand Makki Mosque as they sought to forcefully enter and take control of the facility. At least one of the mosque personnel was severely beaten and arrested. Locals resisted the security forces and prevented their entrance into the mosque.
March 3 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Regime's plainclothes agents and military/security units were stationed around the city's Grand Makki Mosque, arresting a number of the locals.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/KSN0oToxtt— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 3, 2023
March 3 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Regime security forces attacked personnel of the Grand Makki Mosque as they sought to forcefully enter the facility. One of the mosque personnel was arrested.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/ly2hD41fuU— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 3, 2023
Netblocks, the UK-based internet observatory organization tracking network disruptions and shutdowns across the globe, confirmed on Friday that the city of Zahedan.
Protesters in the city of Galikesh, northeast Iran, took to the streets on Friday and chanted slogans in support of Baluch community leaders and against the mullahs’ regime.
Iranian opposition coalition NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi praised the Baluchis’ protests today and called on other cities across Iran to join their ranks against the mullahs’ regime.
“The rally today in Zahedan with roaring chants of ‘Death to Khamenei!’ and ‘Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the [mullahs’ supreme] leader!’ rejected both the current and former dictatorships and displayed Iranian people’s determination to achieve freedom. The people of Iran should rise in other cities in step with our Baluch compatriots and give the criminal Khamenei an unforgettable lesson,” the NCRI President-elect emphasized.
UPDATE: 4:30 PM CET
Germany Calls for Probe of Reported Iranian School Girl Poisonings
BERLIN, March 3 (Reuters) – Reports of poison attacks on school girls in Iran are shocking and must be investigated fully, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Friday, joining the United States in expressing her concern.
Hundreds of Iranian girls in different schools have suffered “mild poison” attacks over recent months, according to the country’s health minister, with some politicians suggesting they could have been targeted by religious groups opposed to girls’ education.
“Girls must be able to go to school without fear,” Baerbock said on Twitter. “This is nothing less than their human right. All cases must be fully investigated.”
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Iran Sees New Anti-regime Protests Over Gas Attacks Targeting Schools
Iran’s nationwide uprising is witnessing its 168th day on Thursday as protests in many cities are escalating following a growing number of gas attacks targeting mostly all-girls schools in Tehran and other cities. At least 26 schools in six cities across the country were targeted in a string of mysterious gas attacks on Wednesday alone, leaving hundreds of schoolgirls poisoned and sent to medical centers to receive aid. This led to many scenes of protests and anti-regime slogans on Wednesday.
Mullahs’ Regime Poisoned Hundreds of Schoolgirls
The serial and increasing poisoning of schoolgirls has now become a social crisis after 3 months and has put pressure on the misogynistic and criminal regime of Mullahs that previously denied this systematic poisoning many times and called it a rumor and illusion.
This incident first started on 9, November 2022 at the Noor Art School for girls in Qom, and a few days later, it was repeated 7 more times in the same school, then in the Fatemieh High School for girls and other schools in Qom, and dozens of female students were sent to the hospital. (7, February 2023 Entekhab Governmental Website).
Counter Narcotics and Iran-related Designations; Russia-related Designations Updates; Issuance of Iran-related General License and Guidance; Publication of Fraud Alert
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has published an Alert “Notice of Fraudulent Communications Requesting Payments involving OFAC” to make the public aware of telephone, email, and letter scams involving individuals falsely claiming to represent OFAC and requesting payments. One example involves timeshare fraud schemes, where scammers have falsely claimed that OFAC has “blocked” payments of taxes made by the timeshare owner.
OFAC is also issuing Iran General License O “Authorizing Wind-Down and Limited Safety and Environmental Transactions Involving Certain Vessels” and two related Frequently Asked Questions (1119 and 1120).
British Navy Seizes Iran Missiles, Parts Likely Yemen Bound
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British navy seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran likely to Yemen, authorities said Thursday, the latest such seizure in the Gulf of Oman.
The seizure by the Royal Navy comes after other seizures by French and U.S. forces in the region as Western powers increase their pressure on Iran, which is it now enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. It also comes as regional and international powers try to find an end to the yearslong war gripping Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, and as Iran arms Russia in its war on Ukraine.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – March 2, 2023
