THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 6:30 PM
Revealed: Iran’s Rapidly Expanding Top Secret Drone Factory Where Hezbollah Is Trained
Iran is training Hezbollah fighters to carry out drone attacks on northern Israel at a rapidly-expanding top secret base, The Telegraph can reveal. The drone facility in Iran has tripled in size since it was set up in 2006, in spite of US sanctions, according to leaked classified Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) documents. Located just five miles from Iran’s holy city of Qom, the centre, under the command of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has expanded from a runway of 500 metres to 1,500 metres today.
The intelligence, compiled by the network of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) inside the country from various sources including some inside the IRGC, reveals that the Gangine centre, which has remained secret until now, hosts leaders of the region’s terror groups currently wreaking havoc across the Middle East, most notably, Lebanese Hezbollah.
Hossein Abedini, deputy director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s UK office, said: “The developments in recent months have proven that the head of the snake, in terms of belligerence and the export of terror in the Middle East, is the clerical regime in Tehran.”
UPDATE: 9:30 AM
How “Woman Resistance Freedom” Strikes Fear in The Ranks of Iran’s Regime
In the afternoon of April 25, a short video spread widely among people on social networks. The scene that unfolded in the capital, Tehran:
Three large banners, several meters in size, displaying highly prohibited images and a dangerous and vivid slogan, were hung over the bridge, in front of the eyes of the people of Tehran. Two images of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI (, were displayed, with the following writings underneath: “Iranian society deserves freedom, democracy, and gender equality” and underneath the second image: “The downfall of this regime is definite, inevitable, and irrevocable.”
The third banner, placed between the other two, prominently portrayed the slogan: “Woman, Resistance, Freedom.”
Iranian Opposition Protests in Brussels Against Increase in Executions in Iran
Iranian opposition supporters rallied in Brussels on Saturday afternoon, with around a hundred sympathizers of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the country’s primary democratic opposition, staging a demonstration at Brussels Central Station. Their protest was aimed at condemning the sharp rise in executions in Iran and urging the international community to intervene urgently to save the lives of political prisoners facing imminent execution.
The protesters highlighted recent reports from the Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iranhrm), which revealed a troubling trend: the Iranian regime had executed 59 individuals in just two weeks. They emphasized that April alone witnessed 72 executions, underscoring the severity of the situation. Notable among those facing execution is Toomaj Salehi, a prominent rapper known for his activism, who was detained during the September 2022 uprising for his involvement in supporting the protests.
Regime Suspends and Jails Female University Students for Their Activities
The Iranian regime continues to suspend and jail students because of their political and social activities, the most recent cases being Afarin Najafizadeh and Motahareh Gouneii.
The Disciplinary Appeals Committee sentenced Afarin Najafizadeh, a mechanical engineering student at Tehran’s University of Science and Technology, to a half-year suspension from the university.
“The case was filed one day after I participated in the Student’s Day press conference and after reports were written by Sharq, Etemad, Emtedad, Ensaf dailies, among others, on December 5, 2022,” Afarin wrote in a social media post.
Iran’s Persecution of Writers: A Grim Reality for Free Expression
Pen America’s 2023 Freedom to Write Index paints a chilling picture of Iran’s relentless crackdown on writers and the creative community. While the world witnessed the protests in late 2022, the Iranian regime’s response has been a continued suppression of dissent, particularly targeting writers and activists, especially women. Iran holds the dubious distinction of jailing the highest number of female writers globally, with 15 currently behind bars. This targeted persecution stems from their opposition to the mandatory hijab and advocacy for women’s rights. The report highlights the case of poet and activist Sepideh Rashnu, sentenced to nearly four years for her stance against the hijab. Human rights defender and writer Nasrin Sotoudeh also faced brief detention for attending a funeral.
A Widening Chasm: Iran’s Regime Struggles with Societal Change
The Iranian regime faces a growing disconnect between its ideology and the evolving norms of its citizens, according to the head of the Iranian Sociological Association, Saeed Moidfar. In an interview with Jamaran News on May 4th, 2024, Moidfar highlighted the regime’s repeated failures in imposing its desired lifestyle and the compulsory hijab, emphasizing that attempting to return to a pre-2022 protest status quo is futile.
Moidfar points to the past three or four years as a period where the regime has intensified efforts to enforce its vision for society, mirroring the “unification” projects of other dictatorships. He underscores the historical failure of such attempts to eradicate the diverse lifestyles people naturally develop.
A Year of Repression: Iranian Universities under Pressure
2023 proved to be a tumultuous year for Iranian academia, marked by a significant tightening of restrictions on university professors.
Karen Abrinia, Secretary of the Union of University Professors, paints a grim picture in his interview with Khabar Online, highlighting the detrimental impact on approximately 200 professors, with nearly 25 facing termination.
Abrinia details the diverse forms of pressure exerted:
- Retaliation for Public Stances: Professors who expressed their views on the 2022 protests faced consequences, including the demotion of contract positions, the obstruction of their career progression, and even dismissal.
Iranian Proxies Still Planning Attacks on US Forces
On Thursday, May 2, Avril Haines, the director of the U.S. National Intelligence Agency, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on “Global Threats” that Iranian government militias are still planning to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East. Haines added that although the Iranian regime and its proxies have stopped attacking Americans for now, it is unclear how long the break will last. She said the Iranian regime and its proxies fired hundreds of weapons at Israel in response to Israel’s killing of Iranian regime’s officials in Damascus.
The Silent War: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Covert Cyber Attacks Unveiled
In addition to nuclear, missile, military, security, and espionage, the Revolutionary Guards have begun extensive activities in recent years, initiating and launching cyber attacks.
Currently, the cyber section of the Revolutionary Guards Corps is considered one of the most destructive organs of this military institution, employing tens of thousands of personnel to orchestrate hacking attacks on designated targets.
For decades, the Supreme Leader has allocated a considerable portion of Iran’s wealth to the Revolutionary Guards in order to protect its foundations and ensure the continuity of its rule. The Revolutionary Guards, in turn, channel immense wealth into their pockets through the vast economic enterprises they control, using them to further their destructive and heinous goals.
Copenhagen and Stockholm—May 1, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally on the Occasion of International Workers Day
May 1, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Copenhagen and Stockholm rallied on the Occasion of International Workers Day. They expressed their solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Paris—May 3, 2024: MEK Supporters Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution, Condemning the Wave of Executions in Iran
Paris, France—May 3, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition and book display in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Gothenburg, Sweden—May 1, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally on the Occasion of International Workers Day
Gothenburg, Sweden—May 1, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Copenhagen and Stockholm rallied on the Occasion of International Workers Day. They expressed their solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.