THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 7:00 PM
Treasury Targets Multiple Procurement Networks Supporting Iran’s Proliferation-Sensitive Programs
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted three procurement networks –– based in Iran, Türkiye, Oman, and Germany –– that have supported Iran’s ballistic missile, nuclear, and defense programs. These networks have procured carbon fiber, epoxy resins, and other missile-applicable goods for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization (IRGC ASF SSJO), Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), other U.S.-designated entities in Iran’s defense industrial base, and Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA), which is linked to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
Devastating Floods Strike Multiple Iranian Provinces
Severe flooding and landslides have hit several provinces in Iran, causing widespread chaos. In Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, over 30 villages are cut off due to heavy rainfall and landslides. Lorestan province also faces challenges, with five villages isolated and their water supply disrupted. Tragically, the flooding claimed a life in Kermanshah province, while an 8-year-old child drowned in Khuzestan. Communication to 15 villages in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province is also severed.
UPDATE: 1:00 PM
Iran May Attack US Water Supplies, Warns Biden Administration
Iran is poised to attack US drinking water supplies, the Biden administration has warned, amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden’s national security adviser, sent a warning to state governors asking them to be on guard for potential cyber-attacks on their critical infrastructure systems.
The warning letter was co-authored by Michael Regan, the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and made public on Tuesday.
In it, they cited ongoing threats from hackers linked to the governments of Iran and China and warned hackers associated with both states have previously attacked water systems.
UPDATE: 10:00 AM
Maryam Rajavi’s Message for Nowruz, The Iranian New Year 1403
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s message: “Fellow compatriots, dear sisters and brothers, beloved daughters and sons of our entire nation, courageous members of the Resistance Units, and all those dedicated to advancing Iran’s democratic revolution!
“Happy Nowruz and Happy New Year to you all. In this Nowruz, we witness the triumphant fortune of the Iranian people. Just as surely as nature’s spring prevails over winter, Iran’s political and social Nowruz will dispel the winter of religious despotism.
“From this 45-year ordeal, and through all the blood that was shed in your uprisings and resistance, the great spring will undoubtedly arrive, thanks to your power to herald spring. Come, come, let us leave behind this shadowed realm. Brighter than the dawn, together we shall forge a different world. With heads held high, let us navigate the corridors of time.”
PMOI Resistance Units Mark Nowruz with Anti-Regime Activities Across Iran
On the eve of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, the Resistance Units, a widespread network of PMOI activists inside Iran, intensified their activities across the country, indicating a significant increase in their efforts to challenge the mullahs’ regime. These activities, which take the form of banners, graffiti, and public demonstrations, aim to spread messages of uprising and resistance against the regime of Ali Khamenei, which is responsible for regional conflicts and bloodshed through the actions of its proxy forces.
In the city of Rasht, in northern Iran, Resistance Units distributed banners bearing the slogan “Our arena is Iran, and the head of the snake is in Tehran.” This phrase directly challenges Khamenei’s leadership, symbolically referring to him as the “head of the snake” causing turmoil and conflict in the region. The message affirms the resistance’s commitment not only to overthrow the current regime but also to restore peace and stability throughout the Middle East.
Iran: State-Run Daily Reflects the Quagmire Of Khamenei’s Regime
In a candid reflection on the complex Iranian political landscape, the state-run newspaper Ham-Mihan highlights the deep strategic quagmire faced by regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In an article titled “Iran at a Crossroads from Every Side,” the publication summarizes the dismal state of the ruling clerical regime and suggests a scenario akin to life support for a ruling system that is barely hanging on to power.
Ham-Mihan’s narrative portrays Khamenei and his cronies in power as not only in a state of political, economic, and social stagnation but in a phase of existential crisis. This depiction goes beyond the usual rhetoric of state media, which usually try to shower praise on the regime while hinting at their criticism. In recent months, other newspapers and analysts have also warned about the dismal state of the regime as the mullahs’ rule inches toward its next showdown with an enraged population that is demanding change.
Traffic Accidents in Iran: A Complex Issue
A former Tehran Traffic Police chief pointed to economic hardship as a major factor in traffic violations and deadly accidents, especially among lower-income groups. Seyed Hadi Hashemi, interviewed by Khabaronline on March 7th, explained that economic problems combined with inadequate infrastructure contribute to 80% of traffic violations.
“Tehran’s Chalus road is nearly 90 years old,” Hashemi said. “In the past, 165 kilometers of highway could be built in two years. Yet, in the past 30 years, we haven’t even built 20 kilometers of freeway. Our highways lack proper standards because many started as secondary roads and were later upgraded.”
He argued that the speed and flow of traffic on these highways are unsafe, contributing to accidents and violations.
A Recessionary Nowruz: Iranians Cut Back as Businesses Struggle
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in business recession and inter-occupational migration in Iran. What is the reason behind this trend?
Undoubtedly, without economic prosperity and support for production, businesses will stagnate. Individuals in society, particularly those actively participating in the workforce and concerned about their livelihoods, inevitably find themselves compelled to seek employment in the service sector.
Furthermore, some resort to engaging in informal or counterfeit employment opportunities to support their families and make ends meet. However, the consequence of this is the loss of valuable human talent and productive capital within the country.
60+ Political Prisoners, Activists Demand Release of Maryam Akbari Monfared
Statements of more than 60 current and former political prisoners and women activists in support of Maryam Akbari Monfared in her 15th year of imprisonment which has been increased to 18 years
More than 60 current and former political prisoners and women activists signed a statement in support of Maryam Akbari Monfared, stressing that this political prisoner has been imprisoned for 5107 days without the right to leave. In parts of their statement, they wrote:
She is one of the longest-held female political prisoners in Iran. She is the youngest surviving member of a family that has witnessed the imprisonment, torture, and execution of her family members since childhood.
Iran’s Economy in Deep Crisis During the Month of Ramadan
Economic pressures in Iran continue to rise, and with the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the depth of the economic crisis has also become apparent as Iranian media report a minimum daily wage of 2.5 million rials (approximately $4) compared to a household expenditure of 6.5 million rials (approximately $11) for daybreak and iftar meals.
The regime’s rouydad24 website has addressed this issue in a report, stating that the iftar or daybreak for a family of five costs 4 million rials (approximately $6.6).
Based on this estimate, the minimum cost of an iftar meal is also estimated to be between 2 to 2.5 million rials.
Geneva—March 18, 2024: Iranian Resistance Supporters Rally Simultaneously With the Meeting of the UN Human Rights Council
Geneva, Switzerland—March 18, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the Iranian Resistance held a rally outside the UN headquarters, coinciding with the presentation of a report by the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Human Rights Violations during the September 2022 uprising in Iran.
Ottawa, Canada—March 17, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Ottawa, Canada—March 17, 2024: Despite snowy and freezing weather, 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, supporting the MEK Resistance Units struggle for overthrow of the mullahs’ regime.