THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM
U.S. Designates the Houthis a Terror Group
The State Department on Friday designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization, following through on a mid-January warning to crack down on the Yemen-based militant group. The action officially labels the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, a step that gives the United States new powers to crack down on the Iran-backed Houthis’ access to the global financial system.
It restores a designation given to the group late in the Trump administration, which Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken reversed soon after taking office in 2021, partly to facilitate peace talks for Yemen’s civil war.
The $2.8 Billion Hole in U.S. Sanctions on Iran
For months, as Iran-backed groups attacked U.S. forces and allies in the Middle East, the Biden administration hailed its efforts to restrict Iran’s oil revenue — and the country’s ability to fund proxy militias. The Treasury secretary told Congress that her teams were “doing everything that they possibly can to crack down” on illegal shipments, and a senior White House adviser said that “extreme sanctions” had effectively stalled Iran’s energy sector.
But the sanctions failed to stop oil worth billions of dollars from leaving Iran over the past year, a New York Times investigation has found, revealing a significant gap in U.S. oversight.
UPDATE: 8:00 PM
Iranian Dissidents Protest outside Munich Security Conference
Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) – Critics of the Iranian government have warned of a wave of executions as they demonstrated against the Iranian regime outside the Munich Security Conference, which began on Friday.
Around 250 supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) rallied not far from where world leaders were gathering on Friday morning, calling on the United Nations and the participants at the Munich Security Conference to take more consistent action against the state leadership in Tehran.
Protesters decried the brutal record of the Iranian government and said that at least 83 people were executed in the month of January alone.
Protest by Supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference
Munich (Germany), Feb 16 (EFE/EPA)- Supporters of Iran’s National Council of Resistance (NCRI) take part in a protest on the sidelines of the 60th Munich Security Conference (MSC), where more than 500 high-level international officials are gathering.
Protests against the Iranian Government in Munich
From our correspondent in Munich – I’m going to Monaco of Bavaria protests against the Iranian government, on the sidelines of the Security Conference (MSC) which opened today in the city. There are already 500 demonstrators and the same number are expected.
A statement released by the demonstrators reads that “hundreds of supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (Ncri), the main democratic opposition to the regime” in Tehran, ask the West to adopt “a policy of firmness” towards the “theocracy”. Furthermore, the inclusion of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a “blacklist in Europe” as a “terrorist organization” is called for.
According to the protesters, “the Iranian regime, head of the serpent, fuels war, terrorism and regional instability”: therefore, “its overthrow is essential for world peace”. As a rule, during the MSC, the Iranian opposition diaspora organizes various demonstrations against the Tehran government, which divide monarchists and republicans, especially communists.
UPDATE: 6:30 PM
Iranians Rally in Munich Calls on World Leaders to Stand Firm Against Tehran
Today, February 16, Iranians and supporters of the Iranian Resistance organized demonstrations in Munich, coinciding with the Munich Security Conference. Their slogans emphasized that the Iranian regime is the primary source of conflict and crisis in the Middle East, advocating for a firm policy against it.
5-#Munich, February 16, 2024: Freedom loving Iranians and #MEK Supporters Demonstrated During #MSC2024, Calling for #Time4FirmIranPolicy.
Iranian Regime is the Main Source of War & Crisis in the #MiddleEast.#BlacklistIRGC #FreeIran2024 #No2ShahNo2Mullahs pic.twitter.com/8MpPobQIE9— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) February 16, 2024
3-#Munich, February 16, 2024: Freedom loving Iranians and #MEK Supporters Demonstrated During #MSC2024, Calling for #Time4FirmIranPolicy.
Iranian Regime is the Main Source of War & Crisis in the #MiddleEast.#BlacklistIRGC #FreeIran2024 #No2ShahNo2Mullahs pic.twitter.com/61NiLyjEJ5— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) February 16, 2024
UPDATE: 2:00 PM
Swedish FM Confronts Iran Over Murder Plot Against Jews
Agence France Presse (AFP) – Sweden’s foreign minister said Thursday he had confronted his Iranian counterpart after reports Tehran’s intelligence service sent an undercover couple to murder Jews in the country.
Last week, Swedish Radio (SR), reported that a couple, Mahdi Ramezani and Fereshteh Sanaeifarid, had been suspected of planning to kill Jewish representatives in Sweden in 2021. They arrived in Sweden posing as Afghan refugees in 2017, said the report.
“It is of course something extremely negative that a country is pursuing murder plots on our territory,” Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told the broadcaster. The couple were arrested in April 2021 on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a terrorist crime, SR reported.
U.S. Conducted Cyberattack on Suspected Iranian Spy Ship
WASHINGTON — The U.S. recently conducted a cyberattack against an Iranian military ship that had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to three U.S. officials.
The cyberattack, which occurred more than a week ago, was part of the Biden administration’s response to the drone attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan and wounded dozens of others late last month, the officials said.
The operation was intended to inhibit the Iranian ship’s ability to share intelligence with Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been firing missiles and drones at cargo ships in the Red Sea, the officials said. U.S. officials say Iran uses the ship to provide targeting information to the Houthis so their attacks on the ships can be more effective.
Iranian State Media Accounts Lose Verification Badges on X
On Friday, February 16, the social media platform “X,” formerly known as Twitter, removed blue and gold verification badges from the accounts of Iranian regime-affiliated media outlets. Among those affected were the IRGC-run news agency Tasnim, the official news agency IRNA, and Press TV.
This action by the social media platform came in the wake of a report by the Washington-based Technology Transparency Project, which criticized X for providing premium and paid services to accounts associated with the Iranian regime. The Technology Transparency Project also identified 28 accounts related to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian government media, and Russia with blue or gold badges on X. This development unfolds as per the announcement by the US Department of the Treasury, which broadly prohibits any transactions by US persons or within the United States involving sanctioned individuals or entities.
Yemen’s Houthis Take Responsibility for Attack on Greek-Owned Bulk Carrier
DUBAI, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Barbados-flagged bulk carrier “Lycavitos” in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, the Iran-aligned militants said in a statement.
The Houthis said the targeted vessel was British. The vessel is managed by Helikon Shipping Enterprises, which has offices in London, Athens and Dalian, China.
Helikon said in a response that the vessel was Greek-owned and that details issued earlier by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency were “informative”, without providing further details.
Misery Index Surges in 15 Iranian Provinces, State-run Website Finds
The state-run Echo Iran news website has examined the fluctuations in the Misery Index in Iran and reports that between autumn 2022 and autumn 2023, the Misery Index in rural areas of 15 provinces across the country has increased.
The percentage growth of misery in these provinces, in descending order, includes Yazd, Khorasan Razavi, Hamadan, Isfahan, Alborz, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Ilam, Fars, Kurdistan, South Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan, East Azerbaijan, Qazvin, Ardabil, and Zanjan. The average Misery Index, based on statistics, indicates that in rural areas of the country in autumn 2023, it was 51.7 units.
The Misery Index is a tool to measure the level of economic hardship in society, derived from the sum of the inflation rate and the unemployment rate, and is also known as the Distress and Discomfort Index among people.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM
Iran’s Revolution Is Not Dead, but the Rule of Mullahs Is
Forty-five years after the anti-monarchy revolution in Iran, a regime insider named Mohammad Taqi Akbarnejad has made comments on “The Silent Death of a Revolution,” which were reported by the regime’s media.
Akbarnejad said, “What we are facing now is neither the Islamic Revolution nor the Islamic Republic. Both are dead, and it has been a long time since they died. What we are facing is deception.”
If the mentioned cleric only limited himself to expressing the death of the ruling system, there would be no issue, as even the authorities themselves acknowledge it. However, his statements, titled “The Silent Death of a Revolution,” have been published on regime-affiliated websites. Since he speaks of the death of the 1979 Revolution, it is necessary to pause and reflect on it for a moment.
The Destruction of Iran’s Medical Infrastructure
Medicine is a field of knowledge whose aim is to preserve and enhance health, treat diseases, and rehabilitate the injured. Medical students must study for seven years to become a general practitioner. The specialized course takes at least four years. Then there is the subspecialty program. Nursing, on the other hand, takes about five years or nine semesters of study. Iran’s youths spend years studying in the hope that one day they will be able to earn a living, meet the high expenses (around 10 billion rials), and dedicate their lives to the treatment of their fellow citizens.
The severity of the dictatorship in Iran has reached a point where doctors and nurses are committing suicide or migrating to other countries where they might have better living conditions.
Healthcare Challenges in Sistan’s Polluted Landscape
The Hamoun Lake, which until yesterday was the lifeline of Sistan, has now transformed into a barren expanse devoid of water, where only dust clouds swirl. For the people of Zabol, spring and summer lack the beauty seen in other parts of the country, while winter offers respite more in terms of relief than the traditional associations with snow and rain. However, the most pressing issue faced by the residents of this region amidst deteriorating ecological and environmental conditions is the scarcity of medical professionals. Despite the region’s population, including those not accounted for in official statistics, the number of doctors remains critically low.
Hunger Strikes Against the Death Penalty in the Women’s Ward of Evin Prison
A cohort of female political prisoners, supporting the opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), went on a hunger strike on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, within the confines of the women’s ward in Evin Prison. Their objective was to denounce the escalating frequency of executions in Iran. The hunger strikes against the death penalty, aimed at condemning the imposition of the death penalty, were first launched on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, by death-row inmates at Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, following the executions of detained protesters Mohammad Qobadlou and Farhad Salimi.
This was the third round of hunger strikes against the death penalty initiated by political prisoners across several prisons, including Evin, Qezel Hesar, Mashhad, Karaj, Khorramabad, and Saqqez. The campaign vehemently denounces the executions and demands an immediate cessation of such actions.
Western Universities Collaborated With Sharif University on Drone Technology Research
The United Against Nuclear Iran organization (UANI) disclosed a study in which researchers from universities in Britain, Australia, and the United States collaborated with Sharif University on drone technology. The Guardian also investigated the dimensions of this research collaboration in a report. The research, published in 2023 on the platform of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), involved the participation of the University of Southampton in Britain, the University of New South Wales in Australia, the University of Houston in the United States, and Sharif University in Iran. Financial backing for this research came from research councils associated with the European Union, as well as the governments of Britain and Australia.
Rome, Italy—February 10, 2024: Iranian Resistance Supporters Rally Commemorating Anniversary of Iran Revolution of 1979
London, England—February 10, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to commemorate the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution. Supporters of the Iranian resistance pledged to fight to the end to overthrow the mullahs’ regime.
