Iran-Backed Militias Kill US Forces at Jordan-Syria Border
Following the death of three American soldiers and the injury of at least 34 others in a drone attack in the Syria-Jordan border region, several prominent US figures have called for decisive action against Iran.
The US military had announced on Sunday, January 28, an armed drone attack against US forces in the area, and US President Joe Biden attributed it to Iran-backed militias.
In its initial response, Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations stated that the Islamic Republic has “no connection” to the attacks on US forces and described it as a result of “clashes between the US army and resistance groups in the region.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, also stated that Iran is not responsible for the attack on the US base and that “Iran has no involvement in the decisions made by resistance groups to defend Palestine and their own country.”
In response to the killing of three American soldiers in the drone attack in Jordan, Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that he is confident that the Biden administration will respond to this attack in a measured and proportionate manner.
Following the drone attack on the US military base on the Jordan-Syria border, The Washington Post reported that the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” composed of several Iran-backed militia groups, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
President Joe Biden, in his latest response to the deadly attack by Iran-backed militias that led to the killing of three American soldiers in northeastern Jordan, said, “We shall respond.”
Also Kamala Harris, the US vice president holds the Iranian regime responsible for this attack:
“Today, America’s heart is heavy. Last night, three U.S. service members were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border. While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”
Iran’s regime is backing many terrorist groups in the region. It has been using these proxy groups to attack US forces in the region, especially since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October. Iran-backed forces have carried out more than 150 attacks on targets in the region since the beginning of the war. This is the first such attack that has resulted in American casualties.
Four Iranian Kurdish Political Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison
Despite widespread international protests, four Iranian Kurdish political prisoners, Pejman Fatehi, Mohammad Faramarzi, Vafa Azarbar, and Mohsen Mazloum, were executed in Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar Prison.
These four individuals were members of a Kurdish dissident group and were arrested last year in Urmia, accused of spying for Israel, an accusation strongly denied by the four individuals themselves. Their lawyer also protested against the unfair trial process regarding these charges.
Since their arrest in August 2022, these four Iranian citizens have been deprived of meeting their families. The families of these four political prisoners were able to visit them in Evin Prison on January 28, after 19 months of being unaware of their status, and were informed that it would be their last visit.
On Sunday afternoon, these prisoners were transferred from Evin to Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar Prison, where their death sentences were carried out.
Human rights organizations reported on January 16, that the Supreme Court of the country confirmed the death sentences of Mohsen Mazloum, Mohammad (Hazhir) Faramarzi, Vafa Azarbar, and Pejman Fatehi in absolute silence.
On Saturday, January 27, the campaign for the defense of the four political prisoners issued a statement, expressing serious concern about the imminent execution of Pejman Fatehi, Mohammad Faramarzi, Vafa Azarbar, and Mohsen Mazloum, and calling for immediate and effective action by human rights organizations and international forums.
At the same time, Juana Taymasi, the wife of Mohsen Mazloum, wrote in a message on X: “During these 19 months, I have pursued all human rights avenues, international organizations, and even went on hunger strike, but I received no response.”
Earlier, the wife of Mohsen Mazloum had said that the families of the political prisoners should inform Nada Al-Nashif, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, about the human rights violations in Iran.
Amnesty International and eighteen other human rights organizations and institutions warned in recent weeks about the “imminent” execution of these four prisoners, urging the global community to take immediate action to prevent these executions.
Vedant Patel, the Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, had previously told on Wednesday, January 24, that none of the dimensions of the political system in the Iranian regime are democratic or transparent, including the management, judiciary, and elections. According to him, the world has been aware of this reality for some time.
Protest Gathering of Steel and Oil Industry Workers in Southern Iran
Workers of the National Iranian Steel Group in Ahvaz (Southwest Iran) gathered for the sixth consecutive day of their protests.
The workers of this company marched on the streets of the city on Sunday, January 28, after gathering in front of the Khuzestan Governorate, Ahvaz Governorate, and the central building of the National Bank of the province, chanting slogans.
“We haven’t seen justice; we won’t vote anymore” was one of the slogans chanted by the protesters.
In the past year, the protests and strikes of Ahvaz Steel workers have seen a significant increase.
According to reports, in response to the workers’ protesting the non-implementation of the job classification plan in recent months, the managers of the steel company have suspended dozens of workers in this complex.
The judicial system of the Iranian regime had also announced on September 27, 2023, that it had sentenced 17 protesting workers in this industrial group to flogging and imprisonment or fines.
At the same time, reports have also been published about the protest gathering of unofficial oil workers on Sunday, January 28, in Gachsaran.
The implementation of the employee organization plan, justice in payment of wages and job benefits, and the elimination of contractor workers are among the demands of these workers.
Groups of unofficial workers also gathered on January 27 at the Pars Jonoubi (south Pars) complex in protest against the non-response to their demands for the fourth consecutive week and stopped working.
According to reports, the gatherings of unofficial workers were held at least in five refineries in Asaluyeh, and the protesters demanded the implementation of the job classification plan, job security, and appropriate work schedules.
On January 27, groups of workers from the Iranian offshore Oil Company (IOOC) also held protest gatherings in two operational areas in southern Iran.
The organization of various trade union gatherings in protest against the inappropriate living conditions since the inauguration of the government of Ebrahim Raisi in 2021 has been a growing trend.
Iran’s Regime Launches Satellite Despite Warning from Europe
One day after the three European signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) condemned the launch of the Soraya satellite using the Qaem 100 launcher through a joint statement, Iranian media reported the launch of three new satellites.
According to the regime’s Mehr News Agency, a light satellite from the Iranian Space Research Institute’s satellite series and the CubeSat nanosatellites Kayhan 2 and Hatef 1, developed by the Iranian company SA Iran, were launched into space.
On January 27, Britain, France, and Germany announced that the Qaem 100 launcher uses technology that is vital for the development of Iran’s long-range ballistic missile system, indicating Iran’s disregard for the restrictions imposed by the United Nations.
Britain, Germany, and France stated in their joint statement that they remain committed to taking all diplomatic steps to prevent the development of nuclear weapons by the Iranian regime and to hold Tehran accountable for all destabilizing activities in the region and the world.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Saturday, January 27, that it had successfully placed the Soraya satellite into a 750-kilometer orbit around the Earth. Three European signatories of the JCPOA believe that the actions provide Iran with the ability to test the necessary technology for further development of its ballistic missile program.
Concerns over the regime’s missile program and the potential threat it poses to regional and global countries have prompted the United States to take preemptive measures against these programs.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on 11 individuals, eight entities, and one vessel on Wednesday, January 24, for their involvement in the destabilizing ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle programs of Iran’s regime.
On January 24, the U.S. Department of State stated that the United States has taken multiple actions to address Iran’s nuclear program, missile development and proliferation, terrorism financing, and other concerning and destabilizing behaviors inside and throughout the region and the world.
Although the Iranian regime claims not to have the intention to develop nuclear weapons and describes its nuclear program as peaceful, European Troika members believe that the regime’s ballistic missile program and its missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads pose a significant threat to regional and global security.
Houthis Continue Attacks on Ships in the Red Sea
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center announced on Friday, January 26, that it had received a report of two missile explosions in the waters near a ship close to the port of Aden, Yemen.
The center issued an alert stating that the ship and its crew are safe, and no damage has been reported.
According to the alert, the ship is currently moving to the next port, and coalition forces are responding to the incident.
The UKMTO also stated that on Friday, it received a separate report of an incident related to a ship located approximately 60 nautical miles (111 kilometers) from the port of Hodeidah in the Red Sea.
This is an area where Houthi militants have carried out attacks on merchant ships.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) also reported on Friday that Houthi militants, with the support of the Iranian regime, launched a missile attack on the destroyer USS Carney.
CENTCOM announced that the American warship successfully intercepted the Houthi missile, and there were no casualties or material damage.
According to CENTCOM, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile towards the USS Carney in the Gulf of Aden at around 1:30 PM local time.
The Houthi rebels, affiliated with the Iranian regime, control approximately one-third of the most populous areas in Yemen.
Since mid-November, they have repeatedly targeted commercial ships with unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles.
Many Western experts believe that the Houthi attacks on ships are carried out at the behest of the Iranian regime and with Tehran’s military and intelligence support. The Houthis claim that these attacks are a response to Israeli military actions in Gaza.
Their attacks have disrupted the global shipping industry and led several major companies to suspend their voyages in the Red Sea, opting for longer and more expensive routes around Africa.
Despite repeated warnings from the United States and multiple airstrikes on their positions by the U.S. and the UK in the past two weeks, the Houthis have not ceased their attacks on commercial ships.
On January 25th, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned four senior officials of the Houthi militia group (officially known as Ansar Allah) for supporting terrorist activities and targeting commercial vessels. Additionally, the UK imposed sanctions on these senior Houthi officials.
On January 17th, Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced in a statement that the Houthis (officially known as Ansar Allah) would be designated as an international terrorist group on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations within 30 days.
Iran’s Regime Disqualifies Key Figures in Upcoming Elections
The official website of former Iranian regime president Hassan Rouhani has announced that the Guardian Council has rejected his candidacy for the upcoming elections of the Assembly of Experts, scheduled for March 1.
The website stated on wednesday, January 24, that the disqualification of the former President of Iran will also be officially announced through the Ministry of Interior.
Unofficial reports of his disqualification were circulated in domestic news agencies in Iran in recent days.
Hassan Rouhani, who is currently a member of the Assembly of Experts, has registered for candidacy in the upcoming elections for the Assembly.
A day before the announcement of Rouhani’s disqualification on his website, Nasrollah Pejmanfar, the head of the Article 90 Commission of the Parliament, had said that “in the previous government, Rouhani and his administration’s efforts were focused on resolving the country’s issues and problems through communication with the United States.” He also threatened to “publicize his dark dossier.”
Rouhani, who served as the President of Iran’s regime from 2013 to 2021 and whose previous government held the parliamentary elections under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior, has previously stated that after the November 2019 protests, the regime has crossed a line and that it is no longer important for high officials if participation in elections is low.
Throughout his more than 40 years in the government hierarchy, Rouhani has consistently held the highest positions in the regime. His resume includes five terms of presence in the Majlis (parliament), three terms (24 years) of membership in the Assembly of Experts, 16 years as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and two terms (eight years) as President.
The Guardian Council also disqualified the candidacy of Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a former security and judicial figure of the regime and former Minister of Justice, from participating in the elections for the Assembly of Experts.
The news of the disqualification of this regime official was published on January 24, hours after the news of Hassan Rouhani’s disqualification, the former President of Iran.
Mostafa Pourmohammadi was a member of the “Death Committee.” He was also the head of the Center for the Documentation of the Islamic Revolution, and a former Minister of interior. This is the second time he is being disqualified for candidacy in an election.
In the summer of 1988, following a fatwa issued by Rouhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, a four-member committee known as the “Death Committee” was tasked with reviewing the cases of thousands of political and ideological prisoners who were serving their sentences in prisons.
Pourmohammadi, along with the current regime’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, was a member of this committee. In 1988, they confirmed the death sentences of 30,000 political prisoners and handed them over to execution squads.
In 2019, in a video interview with the weekly magazine Mosaalas, he stated that he should not be held accountable for those executions and should not provide a legal answer. Instead, he said, “the Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) should tried, and each of them should be dealt with individually.”
Most of the victims of the 1988 executions were members of the PMOI.
Iranian Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Protest to Political Executions
Following the execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi, two political prisoners, 61 political and ideological prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin Prison announced on Tuesday, January 21 that “the news of the execution of Iranian youth has sparked a wave of anger and protest in society. Political and ideological female prisoners at Evin Prison will go on a general hunger strike on Thursday, January 25, in protest of the recent executions and to demand the ‘halt of executions.'”
The execution of two political prisoners on the morning of Tuesday, January 23, has sparked anger and protest on social media, with observers considering these executions as the Iranian regime’s “vengeance” against the people of Iran following the “killing of its terrorists” in the region.
Following this hunger strike, a large number of political and civil activists inside and outside Iran declared their support and solidarity with this strike.
On Wednesday, January 24, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, quoting “one of her close associates,” wrote that political prisoner Zeynab Jalalian, who is serving a life sentence in Yazd Prison, will go on a hunger strike on Thursday in protest of the executions and to demand the “halt of executions.”
According to this close associate of Zeynab Jalalian, despite her “isolated conditions” in Yazd Prison and severe restrictions on her phone calls, she said that on Wednesday, after learning about the execution of political and ideological prisoners in the past few months and in support of the public’s demand to abolish death sentences in Iran, she will also go on a hunger strike along with 61 female political and ideological prisoners in Yazd Prison.
At the same time, more than 110 retired teachers, cultural figures, and labor and civil activists have announced in a statement their support for the protests against the implementation of death sentences in Iran and declared that they will go on a hunger strike on Friday, January 26.
The statement reads: “We, a group of activist educators and labor activists, in protest against the wrong policies of the ruling authorities and extensive injustices, and in solidarity with imprisoned women, civil activists, and political activists who went on a hunger strike on Thursday, January 25, will go on a hunger strike on Friday.”
The signatories of the statement also demanded the “unconditional abolition of death sentences” and referred to it as “one of the fundamental demands in seeking justice and freedom.”
Amirhossein Moradi and Ali Younesi, elite students of Sharif Industrial University who have spent the past four years in prison on false charges, announced that they have joined the hunger strike along with 61 female political and ideological prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin Prison to demand the cessation of executions.
These two elite students were arrested on April 10, 2020, and after enduring severe torture and prolonged detention, they were each sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court.
Iran Faces Energy Shortage Despite Large Reserves
Despite being the second-largest natural gas reserves holder, the third-largest oil-rich country, and abundant in renewable energy sources, the regime’s media outlets claim that the country will face energy supply problems in less than 20 years.
According to a report by the regime’s Fars News Agency, estimates indicate that Iran will only be able to meet one-third of the country’s gas demand from 2041 onwards. Until then, Iranian people and industries will only have access to gas and electricity for eight hours per day.
Fars, which is associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), states that although the development of the South Pars gas field, the world’s largest gas field, has allowed Iran to surpass Qatar in gas production since 2018, with a record-breaking daily production of 700 million cubic meters of gas, the decline in production from this field starting in 2025, at a rate of 28 million cubic meters per day, will exacerbate the existing gas crisis in the country.
A report from the Majlis (Parliament) Research Center also indicates that the gas shortage has surpassed the seasonal fluctuations since last year, and currently, Iran faces a daily shortage of approximately 123 million cubic meters throughout the year.
Meanwhile, Tasnim, another IRGC-linked news agency, has simultaneously reported that less than one percent of the country’s energy is supplied by renewable power plants.
According to this report, Iran’s total capacity for using renewable energy is currently 870 megawatts, while the government is obligated to add at least 10,000 megawatts to the country’s renewable power plant capacity by 2025.
Iran, with its extraordinary potential in energy sources such as solar and wind, can meet a significant portion of its energy needs from these natural, clean, and renewable sources.
However, the Iranian regime is allocating all financial resources to nuclear ambitions and interfering in regional countries rather than developing its renewable energy sector.
Iran: USD-rial Exchange Rate Increasing Hourly
The exchange rate of gold, U.S. dollar, and other foreign currencies in the Iranian free market has experienced a significant and hourly increase. At the time of this report, the exchange rate for one US dollar had reached “55,700 tomans.”
According to the Bonbast website, which reports the exchange rates of foreign currencies and gold in the Iranian market, within just one hour, the price of each US dollar increased by “2,500 rials,” and each gold coin increased by “1 million rials” (approximately $2).
The financial markets in Iran have been turbulent in recent days, with the price of the US dollar rising from 540,000 rials on Sunday, January 21, to nearly 560,000 rials within three days.
According to the regime’s official IRNA news agency, the main index of the stock market, at the end of Tuesday’s trading on January 23, experienced a decline of 26,000 points, reaching 2.129 million units, and 9,160 billion rials (approximately $16.5 million) worth of liquidity was withdrawn from the stock market.
According to Jahan-e-Sanat daily, Vahid Shaghaghi Shahri, an economist, emphasized that “no management takes place in the stock market” and that “this market is completely abandoned.”
According to Shaghaghi, “each ministry and entity continuously issues directives and changes them.”
Shaghaghi Shahri also emphasized that “the issued resolutions constantly manipulate the rates and key variables affecting the stock market, which creates confusion,” and “in these conditions, shareholders buy shares, but then they see that a sudden resolution has a negative impact on the profitability of companies.”
Furthermore, Siamak Ghasemi, an economic expert in Iran, attributed the range of fluctuations in the coin market to repressive policies and “manipulating markets with directives,” and he posted on X that this trend “has no benefit other than driving people’s capital to unofficial and cash markets,” and the authorities “never once thought of reasons beyond closing and restricting.”
The wave of increasing gold and currency rates in the Iranian market is happening while there are ongoing protests related to livelihood issues in various cities.
Iran: Gasoline Ration Reduced from 150 to 100 Liters
Approximately one month after the promises made by Iranian regime’s officials not to change the price or rationing of gasoline in Iran, Tasnim News Agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that the rationing of subsidized gasoline (approximately $0.05) on personal fuel cards has been reduced from 150 liters to 100 liters.
Tasnim News Agency announced this news on Monday, January 22, stating that the reserve for the 15,000-rials (approximately $0.02) gasoline ration has also been reduced to six months and a maximum of 360 liters. Previously, the reserve period was nine months with a maximum of 540 liters.
Tasnim News Agency emphasized that it is not possible to store more than 360 liters of the 15,000-rials gasoline ration on fuel cards, and if a fuel card has this amount of ration, the new ration will not be deposited into the card in the coming months.
ISNA News Agency also confirmed the reduction of the 30,000-rial gasoline (approximately $0.05) ration on fuel cards from 150 liters to 100 liters and attributed the reason to “combating smuggling.” The news agency quoted Jafar Salarinasab, the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, who stated that “this issue has no relation to the monthly 60-liter ration.”
Some Iranian media have described this reduction in gasoline ration as “sudden” because there was no prior announcement or communication regarding this matter.
The unexpected change in the fuel card storage limit affects both passenger cars and motorcycles.
This decision by the Ministry of Oil comes approximately one month after the nationwide hacking of fuel stations in Iran. Previously, Jaleel Salari, the CEO of the National Iranian Refining and Oil Products Distribution Company, had rejected the government’s decision to reduce gasoline rations.
A protest gathering of truck drivers took place on November 28, 2023, in Tehran in response to fuel shortages. During this gathering, slogans such as “Incompetent officials, resign, resign” were chanted.
During the hacking of fuel stations in Iran, people were forced to purchase fuel at market prices, which is several-fold more expensive.
Due to the transportation of goods and the transportation systems in Iran, the price of fuel is one of the main factors in determining the prices of other goods, and its increase directly affects the rising prices of other commodities.
Government decisions regarding fuel rationing and gasoline price increases have led to protests at various times.
The largest of these protests occurred in November 2019 after the regime suddenly hiked the price of fuel by 300%. During the protests, which spread across the country, Iranian regime security forces killed 1,500 protesters.
Information indicates that security forces are seeking to minimize protests following the reduction of gasoline rationing and the increase in free market prices by distributing gasoline subsidies among households without cars and facilitating its sale at market prices.
