Hezbollah Turns to Drug Trafficking in Venezuela as Support from Tehran Dries UpChosun emphasizes that Iran and North Korea, both under severe U.S. sanctions, have increasingly turned in recent years to opaque financial tools, including cryptocurrencies. From analysts’ perspective, identifying these transactions is a sign of overlapping financial networks between the two countries aimed at circumventing the sanctions system. The report goes on to say that SIM HYON-SOP, who is wanted by the FBI on charges of money laundering and sanctions evasion, has played a key role in this network. The reward for his capture was increased in the summer of this year from five million dollars to seven million dollars. SIM, born in 1983 in Pyongyang, has cooperated with North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank and is listed under U.S. sanctions. According to Chosun, SIM was mainly active in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates and used aliases such as “Sim Ali” and “Sim Hajim,” presenting himself as a representative of Kwangson Bank. His network included North Korean information technology workers who, after obscuring transaction trails, transferred cryptocurrencies obtained from hacking or wages to wallets under SIM’s control. These funds were then converted into U.S. dollars through brokers in the United Arab Emirates or China and, after multiple laundering transactions, deposited into accounts of shell companies established in Hong Kong. According to the report, foreign currency earnings of North Korean workers in Russia, China, and Africa also entered SIM’s network through the same route. Chosun writes that part of this money was not sent directly to North Korea but was instead spent on purchasing goods, equipment, and even weapons needed by Kim Jong Un’s regime. Among the examples cited is the use of a company in Zimbabwe to purchase a 300,000-dollar helicopter in Russia and deliver it to North Korea. Additionally, about 800,000 dollars were spent to procure raw materials for producing counterfeit cigarettes, one of Pyongyang’s main sources of income. Another part of the report states that U.S. banks, including Citibank, JPMorgan, and Wells Fargo, failed to detect SIM’s money-laundering activities, and at least 310 transactions totaling 74 million dollars were processed through the U.S. financial system. Referring to data from the Financial Action Task Force and the company Chainalysis, the report adds that dozens of North Korean “shadow bankers” are active outside the country and over several years have laundered more than six billion dollars in stolen cryptocurrency for the regime. Chosun concludes that despite the issuance of an arrest warrant for SIM HYON-SOP by a U.S. federal court in March 2023, his capture still appears difficult and nearly impossible, a matter that observers say highlights serious gaps in international financial oversight and the challenges of confronting joint money-laundering networks involving countries such as Iran and North Korea.
Iran–North Korea Financial Links Revealed in Money-Laundering Network
A report published in South Korea has revealed the identification of financial transactions between Iran’s regime and North Korea.
According to blockchain tracking sources, these transactions were carried out through the money-laundering network of a North Korean operative using cryptocurrencies, with part of the funds transferred to entities affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Chosun newspaper reported in an article published on Friday, December 26, that investigations by TRM Labs show that at least 67,000 dollars were transferred in February of this year from a cryptocurrency wallet belonging to SIM HYON-SOP, a North Korean money launderer, to a wallet linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the newspaper, these data indicate that Iran’s regime may have used cryptocurrency to evade sanctions, convert funds into U.S. dollars, or even pay for oil.
Collapse of Iran’s handmade carpet industry
The Financial Times reported that Iran’s handmade carpet industry is facing an unprecedented collapse, with exports falling to their lowest level due to U.S. sanctions and the Iranian regime’s currency regulations.
The Financial Times wrote on Friday, December 26, that Iranian carpets, renowned for their artistic delicacy and the skill of their weavers and with a production history spanning thousands of years, are now produced in far smaller quantities than in past decades, and Iran has lost a large part of its former position in the global carpet market.
Quoting figures active in Iran’s carpet industry, the newspaper added that regional instability has also contributed to the collapse of this industry, and the current situation has dealt serious damage to local businesses.
Iran’s Carpets Industry on the Decline as Economy Continues to Spiral DownAn Iranian carpet weaver said in this regard that the cost of producing carpets is very high, while the resulting profit is negligible. According to him, preparing the wool and silk for one carpet costs about 250 dollars, and then nearly one year is spent weaving it. Even if the carpet turns out completely flawless, its sale price is usually around 600 dollars. The lack of government support and social security coverage has pushed him to the brink of exhaustion: “I work with constant back and leg pain, but I cannot afford to hire an assistant weaver.” According to statistics from the Carpet and Handicrafts Commission of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, the value of carpet exports in the year ending in March 2026 will fall to less than 40 million dollars, compared to 41.7 million dollars the previous year. Morteza Haji Aghamiri, chair of commission, said export figures had been below $100mn — “so meagre we can say it is practically zero” — for six years running, down from a peak of more than $2bn three decades ago. This is while Iran’s carpet exports reached more than two billion dollars about three decades ago. In October, Agence France-Presse, referring to the critical condition of Iran’s carpet market, reported that carpet exports from Iran have faced a 95% decline.
The loss of Iran’s traditional carpet markets
While Iranian carpets were previously exported to about 80 countries, today their target markets have been limited to the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan. At the same time as many of Iran’s traditional markets have been lost, competitors from Turkey, India, China, and Afghanistan have filled this gap. Before the latest round of sanctions, Western tourists were the main buyers of fine Iranian carpets, but escalating political tensions with the West reduced foreign tourism and constrained the retail market. Disruptions in the region’s airspace following the war with Israel, along with other political tensions, caused foreign traders to lose confidence. An activist in the carpet sales sector said: “Even the Tehran carpet exhibition, held every September — which allowed us to maintain minimal contact with foreign buyers — was cancelled this year, apparently because of electricity shortages.” The Financial Times went on to write that sanctions and the severing of trade relations have eliminated Iran’s opportunity to keep pace with new market tastes and the trend toward minimalist interior design, a trend that is often incompatible with traditional Iranian carpet designs. In addition, inflation and the decline in citizens’ purchasing power have led to a drop in domestic demand, and Iranian carpets have effectively lost their place in many people’s homes. According to experts in this field, currently less than three percent of produced carpets are used inside the country.Iranian Regime To Cover Budget Deficit From People’s Pockets
Criticism by labor and professional associations has intensified over the proposed 20% increase in the salaries of government employees and retirees in next year’s budget bill. This level of increase is described as paltry and insulting, and the government is seeking to fund the budget by dipping into the pockets and livelihoods of the people.
In the 2026 budget, the main burden of financing has been shifted from the government to society, and the government effectively intends to compensate for its budget deficit by increasing pressure on the people, especially wage earners.
Teachers, Retirees, And Workers Hold Protest Rallies in Cities Across IranAt a time when the increase in government employees’ salaries is projected at around 20%, while the country’s real inflation rate stands at about 50%, the outcome is clear: a sharp decline in purchasing power, weakened livelihoods, and the further impoverishment of a large segment of the 55 million people who, according to official reports, are living below the poverty line. Iran’s Retirees Council, an advocacy body representing retirees, wrote in a statement on Thursday, December 25, titled “The 2026 Budget; A Budget Based on Rent-Seeking and Repression,” that “the current government, like previous governments, under the harsh living conditions of the people, has generously moved to increase the budgets of non-productive, non-service, repressive, ineffective institutions that are unrelated to people’s lives, the result of which is the further expansion of poverty and general deprivation.” In part of its statement, the council described the outcome of the 2026 budget for the people and the wage-earning class—referred to in Iranian media as an “austerity and resistance budget”—as “the continuation of poverty and growing misery.” The statement says: “While they have generously and significantly increased the budgets of military, security, judicial, religious-propaganda, and media organizations and institutions, all expert evidence shows that over past decades, the starting point of inflation in Iran when facing budget deficits has always been shocks to the prices of basic necessities of people’s lives, and the 2026 budget is no exception.” The Retirees Council also criticized the government of Masoud Pezeshkian, the current president of Iran’s regime, for having “planned to finance the main source of its budget expenditures for next year largely through tax increases, devaluing wages and salaries, and reaching into the pockets and dining tables of the people.” The minimum salary for retirees and pension recipients has been set at 14 million and 40 thousand tomans, equivalent to 140 million and 400 thousand rials (approximately 104 dollars), and the minimum salary for government employees at 15 million and 600 thousand tomans, equivalent to 156 million rials (approximately 116 dollars); figures that, under conditions of high inflation and sharp increases in living costs, are practically insufficient to meet minimum livelihood needs.”
Iranian Retirees Are Giving Up on Medical TreatmentThe 2026 budget bill allocates astronomical funds to institutions that have no direct connection to the economy or people’s daily lives. The financial situation of retirees is so catastrophic that some are now selling their assets and belongings to pay for medicine and medical treatment. Earlier, on December 23, the Free Workers Union of Iran warned: “A horrific inflation and unimaginable poverty and misery are on the way for next year,” and called for “nationwide strikes and protests to put an end to the hell dominating the country.” The Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association also criticized the government’s decision to raise employees’ and wage earners’ salaries by 20% in next year’s budget bill, stressing that this increase, “while the real inflation rate is far higher and several times this figure, constitutes an overtly unjust action and one that contradicts the regime’s own enacted laws.” According to the government’s budget bill submitted to the parliament, total allocations for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state-run radio and television organization, increased to 35 thousand and 500 billion tomans, equivalent to 355 trillion rials (approximately 263 million dollars). These allocations, after rising by more than 20%, reached 35 thousand and 500 billion tomans, while the budget of this propaganda organization of the Iranian regime in the current year was about 29 thousand billion tomans, equivalent to 290 trillion rials (approximately 215 million dollars). Meanwhile, according to Tejarat News, a news website focused on economic issues, the next year’s budget for the Iranian regime’s cultural, propaganda, and terrorist institutions—such as the Seminary Services Center, the Supreme Council of Seminaries, Al-Mustafa International University, and the Khorasan Seminary Planning Council—has reached about 27 thousand billion tomans, equivalent to 270 trillion rials (approximately 200 million dollars). A journalist wrote on the social media platform X that while over the past five years the salaries of employees and retirees have increased by only 144%, the budget of the Islamic Propagation Organization, a state-run religious propaganda body, has grown by 975%, meaning that the organization’s function is to organize regime marches and demonstrations. By contrast, the government collects taxes from sectors that are transparent, traceable, and lack political bargaining power—namely wage earners and the middle class.
Labor Strikes In Iran As Workers Demand Their Rights
Reports from Iran indicate the continuation of strikes and protest gatherings by workers of the Middle East Sugar Agro-Industry Company in Khuzestan Province, workers at the Zarshouran gold mine in Takab in West Azerbaijan Province, as well as workers and maintenance staff of railway lines and technical infrastructure in Lorestan, Zagros, and Andimeshk.
The Free Workers Union of Iran reported that the strike by workers of the Middle East Sugar Agro-Industry Company in the city of Shush continued on Thursday, December 25, for a fourth consecutive day.
Iranian Workers Have No Table to Put Food on as Poverty and Destitution IntensifyAccording to the report, during this period company officials, the Shush Labor Office, and other responsible institutions have remained “indifferent” to the protest and have so far taken no action to address the workers’ demands. During the previous round of workers’ strikes held in late November, the Shush City Security Council required the employer to fulfill some of the workers’ demands. However, the employer not only failed to meet any of its legal obligations but also dismissed three workers on December 22.
Continuation of strikes at Iran’s largest gold mine
The state-run ILNA news agency reported that workers at the Zarshouran gold mine in Takab launched protests over low wages and wage-related benefits. According to reports, workers at this mine—which the Zarshouran Mining and Mineral Industries Development Company describes as “Iran’s largest gold mine”—held another protest gathering on the tenth day of their strike. They told ILNA that workers employed in the mine receive lower wages and benefits compared to factory staff and demanded wage increases and access to wage-related and occasion-based benefits. ILNA quoted one of the striking workers as saying: “Factory workers receive bonuses on holidays and special occasions, but we mine workers are deprived of these benefits. Working at the Zarshouran gold mine is hard, yet our average wage is around 20 million tomans, equivalent to 200 million rials (approximately 150 dollars).” According to reports by several media outlets, the monthly cost of living in Iran is about 58 million tomans, equivalent to 580 million rials (approximately 430 dollars). The worker added: “We gold mine workers are contract laborers and do not receive a fair share of the hardship and suffering we endure. This is not fair. Our wage benefits must increase in line with the difficulty of our work.”The fifth day of strikes by workers and staff in Lorestan, Zagros, and Andimeshk regions
The official Telegram channel of railway line and technical infrastructure maintenance workers and staff reported the continuation of strikes by workers and employees in the Lorestan, Zagros, and Andimeshk regions. According to the report, workers and staff in these regions have been on strike since Sunday, December 21. Among other issues, they are protesting low wages and are emphasizing the implementation of the law requiring the return of the Travers Company to state ownership.Continuation of protest gatherings by employees of the Offshore Oil Company in the Kharg region
According to reports, employees of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company in the Kharg region continued their protests from previous days and, from six a.m. to twelve noon on Wednesday, December 24, gathered at the region’s cultural complex and refrained from reporting to work. According to these reports, they stated that they would continue their gatherings until all professional and legal demands are fully met. The protesting workers in the Kharg region are demanding “reform of employees’ minimum wages, full payment of bonuses and operational and rotational benefits to operational staff, full payment of legally mandated retirement service years, transparency in the calculation of taxes in operational areas and reimbursement of excess taxes collected under existing laws, full implementation of Article 10 and complete payment of its back pay, elimination of the division of operational jobs into specialized and support categories, and full independence of the Oil Pension Fund.” In recent years, employees in oil regions have carried out short-term strikes and protest gatherings.Protests by workers and retirees of Tabriz Machine Manufacturing Group against privatization policies
Workers and retirees of the Tabriz Machine Manufacturing Group also protested in a statement on Thursday against measures taken toward the “transfer of the Tabriz Machine Manufacturing and Foundry companies under lease-to-own arrangements.” According to the state-run ILNA news agency, the statement noted that workers and employees of Tabriz Machine Manufacturing are calling for the “transfer of 100% of the shares of these companies to employees in the form of a developmental production cooperative, in accordance with the law and Article 44 of the Constitution.” The implementation of privatization policies under the directive of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, has led to negative consequences, including the bankruptcy of factories and companies, delays of several months in wage payments, and the dismissal of workers.About 4,000 Iranian Children with Autism Have Abandoned Treatment Due To Financial Difficulties
Saeedeh Saleh-Ghaffari, the CEO of the Iran Autism Association, announced that about four thousand children with autism in the country have halted their treatment process due to families’ financial inability and the lack of effective insurance coverage for treatment and rehabilitation costs. She added that about five thousand children are also not receiving rehabilitation services.
On Wednesday, December 24, Saleh-Ghaffari, in a meeting criticizing the performance of insurance companies, said that many families with autistic children are forced to personally pay all the heavy costs of treatment and rehabilitation, because insurance providers do not fully and consistently cover these services.
Regarding the costs, Saleh-Ghaffari said: “Educational and rehabilitation expenses for a child under seven years old on the moderate spectrum are at least 250 million rials per month (approximately 185 dollars). These children have specific dental and medical problems and often must be treated under anesthesia; the cost of treatment and anesthesia for each tooth reaches about 250 million rials.”
Drug and Medical Equipment Prices Jump 70% in IranThis is while the base monthly wage in Iran barely reaches 115 dollars per month. She emphasized that treatment and rehabilitation costs should be borne by the government and that the Supreme Council of Health Insurance should set the tariffs. According to her, the current cost of each rehabilitation session in the private sector is close to 5 million rials (approximately four dollars), and families must receive at least 25 sessions. Saleh-Ghaffari added: “For two years, these costs have not been properly paid by insurance companies, and families are forced to sell gold, cars, and even their homes.” She stressed that the Social Security Organization and the Health Insurance Organization, both government-affiliated insurance bodies in Iran, must be held accountable in this regard. Despite increased public awareness about autism, individuals with this disorder in Iran and their families still face numerous challenges in diagnosis, treatment, education, and government support. Sina Tavakoli, the deputy for education, rehabilitation, and family health at the Iran Autism Association, said on April 14, during a meeting held on the occasion of Autism Awareness Month, that high costs have prevented many autism patients from receiving treatment. At the same time, he stated that there are no precise statistics on the number of people with autism in Iran, but it can be said that more than 40,000 people have this disorder. However, in another part of her December 24 remarks, Saleh-Ghaffari said that so far about 30,000 people with autism have been identified in Iran but estimates show that more than 100,000 others have yet to be identified. Referring to the age distribution of those affected, she said that about two thousand and 500 of people with autism in the country are adults, for whom there is currently no designated authority and no defined services. She added that in the field of adult autism, there are practically no specialized therapists. According to her, more than seven thousand people with autism are being cared for at home, and the existing round-the-clock care centers are in no way sufficient to meet current needs.
Iranian Political Prisoner Ehsan Rostami Faces Risk of Execution
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main opposition coalition to Iran’s regime, announced that political prisoner Ehsan Rostami is facing the risk of a death sentence or heavy punishments due to the fabricated charge of “baghi” and under the pretext of cooperation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
On Wednesday, December 10, Branch Five of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office formally presented this charge to Ehsan Rostami. After the interrogation session ended, he was immediately transferred to solitary confinement.
Over 400 Global Figures Urge Halt to Execution of Iranian Political PrisonerEhsan Rostami was arrested on August 20 along with several relatives and friends, including his cousin Ramin Rostami, during simultaneous raids on their homes in Tehran. They were subjected to torture-inflicting interrogations and severe pressure for four months. Ehsan and Ramin Rostami began a hunger strike on Thursday, October 2, in protest against the torture and pressure imposed by interrogators, continuing for 23 days.
Ehsan Rostami faces the risk of a death sentence.
Ehsan Rostami, 36 years old, is a sociologist and a graduate of Allameh Tabataba’i University. He is the manager of a publishing house and bookstore and is known as a cultural figure. Ramin Rostami, 29 years old, is an electrical engineer and an independent cultural publisher. Additionally, Jahangir Rostami, Ehsan’s 63-year-old father and a retired educator, was arrested at his home in Harsin on Friday, October 17, and was severely beaten, suffering injuries to his head and face. Two days later, he was brought before his son Ehsan with a bloodied face to extract a forced confession. Retirees’ labor associations in Kermanshah and Harsin issued statements condemning the arrest and beating of Jahangir Rostami. They also demanded his release during a retirees’ gathering in Kermanshah. He was eventually temporarily released from prison on December 16 on bail of 15 billion rials (approximately 11,200 dollars). It should be recalled that the Iranian regime’s security agencies, in order to intimidate the public and young people, are carrying out widespread arrests of activists and regime opponents and bringing the charge of baghi, which carries the death penalty, in an effort to frighten people and prevent them from joining Iran’s Resistance and engaging in active political struggle.Worldwide Women’s Coalition Demands Halt to Execution of Iranian Political Prisoner Zahra Tabari
Global figures have called for the revocation of Zahra Tabari’s death sentence. The issuance and confirmation of the death sentence for Zahra Tabari, an Iranian engineer and women’s rights activist, has triggered a wide wave of media and human rights reactions worldwide. At the same time, with the release of a statement signed by more than 400 prominent women from around the world, international media outlets have extensively covered the case. This report focuses on the global reflection of the demand to overturn Zahra Tabari’s death sentence in major international media and institutions.
Calls to overturn Zahra Tabari’s death sentence in Arab media
The newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat wrote in a detailed report that Zahra Tabari, a sixty-seven-year-old mother, was sentenced to death after a ten-minute trial held without the presence of a lawyer. The outlet stressed that the court session was conducted via video conference and that fair trial standards were not observed. The report stated that the main reason for issuing the sentence was her holding a placard. Asharq Al-Awsat described the case as a clear example of a security-driven response to civic activism and pointed to the global demand for overturning Zahra Tabari’s death sentence.Over 400 Global Figures Urge Halt to Execution of Iranian Political Prisoner
Coverage of the call to overturn Zahra Tabari’s death sentence by Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse reported on December 23 that more than four hundred prominent women, including four Nobel Prize laureates and several former presidents and prime ministers, have called for Tabari’s immediate release. The outlet stated that the main concern of the signatories is the risk of the sentence being carried out imminently. AFP also noted that Iran’s state-run media have made no mention of the case. This silence, combined with mounting global pressure, has turned the demand to overturn Zahra Tabari’s death sentence into one of the day’s major news stories.The role of United Nations experts in demanding the revocation of Zahra Tabari’s death sentence
Alongside the media coverage, a group of eight independent United Nations human rights experts issued a statement calling on Iranian authorities to immediately halt the execution of the sentence. They stated that the charge of “baghi” was based solely on a placard and an unverified audio file. Their statement said that the case represents a serious violation of Iran’s international obligations. This stance elevated the demand to overturn Zahra Tabari’s death sentence to the formal level of international institutions.Scoop website and details of judicial violations
The Scoop website, citing United Nations experts, reported that Zahra Shahbaz Tabari, a sixty-seven-year-old electrical engineer, is being held in Lakan Prison in the city of Rasht. The report pointed to issues such as unlawful deprivation of liberty, denial of effective legal counsel, insufficient time for defense, and reliance on inadequate evidence. Scoop emphasized that such a process renders any conviction invalid. The report described the systematic use of the death penalty for vague security-related charges as a serious obstacle to justice and stressed the necessity of overturning Zahra Tabari’s death sentence.Independent Online and global women’s solidarity
Independent Online reported that the signatories of the statement have called on governments around the world to stand with the women of Iran. The outlet wrote that in addition to politicians, judges, diplomats, and intellectual figures such as Elisabeth Badinter have also signed the appeal. Independent Online added that United Nations experts have confirmed that the sentence was issued solely on the basis of symbolic activity. Referring to the execution of more than forty women in the current year, the report underscored the urgency of overturning Zahra Tabari’s death sentence.Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva warned that Tabari’s case involves no charge of intentional killing and that her execution would constitute an arbitrary execution. The body described the criminalization of women’s activism as a clear form of gender discrimination. France 24 television network also wrote that the case reveals the fear Iranian women have faced for decades. The network described Iran as the world’s leading executioner of women relative to population size and called for the revocation of Zahra Tabari’s death sentence. The extensive media coverage and positions taken by international institutions show that Zahra Tabari’s case has become a global symbol of the repression of women in Iran. The demand to overturn Zahra Tabari’s death sentence is not an individual appeal, but a global condemnation of a system that has turned justice into a tool of intimidation.Head Of Atomic Energy Organization of Iranian Regime: Grossi Is ‘Part of the Enemy’
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Iranian regime, criticized the positions of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the need to inspect nuclear sites bombed in Iran and described Rafael Grossi as “part of the enemy.”
On Wednesday, December 24, Eslami reacted to Grossi’s recent remarks about the IAEA’s lack of access to the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites and said: “If there is a protocol for [inspecting] attacked facilities, he should announce it. Such a thing is not provisioned in the safeguards.”
Iran’s Regime Is Clearing One of Its Nuclear Facilities, Study ShowsHe added that the method of the Agency’s inspections of sites that were targeted during the twelve-day war “must be defined.” In recent days, speculation has intensified about the fate of the Iranian regime’s nuclear program and the possible reactions of the United States, Israel, and the European troika (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom). On December 23, a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to review the Iranian regime’s nuclear file ended with another confrontation between the representative of the U.S. government and the ambassador of Iran’s regime. In response to remarks by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s regime ambassador to the UN, Morgan Ortagus stressed that uranium enrichment is not acceptable inside Iran under any circumstances. On December 22, Grossi said in an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that the International Atomic Energy Agency believes most of the Iranian regime’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains inside Iran. He had also said on December 15 that the Agency’s activities in Iran are very limited and that its inspectors must have access to the key nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. In recent months, and especially after the twelve-day war, a number of officials of the Iranian regime have sharply criticized Grossi; some have called him a “Mossad agent,” and the state-run Kayhan newspaper, which operates under the supervision of a representative of regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, even called for his execution on charges of “espionage” for Israel. On December 13, Grossi described threats by Iranian regime officials against him as “very damaging” and said that unfortunately he remains under security protection, because experts in this field consider these threats to be real and credible.
Eslami: If the facilities have been destroyed, what is the inspection for?
The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Iranian regime, continuing to repeat the regime’s previous positions, emphasized blocking the Agency’s inspections at the current stage. Eslami said: “What kind of visit do they want to make to facilities that, by their own claim, have been destroyed?”Grossi: Bulk of Iran’s Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpiles Remain Inside CountryDonald Trump, the president of the United States, has repeatedly stated that following U.S. attacks on the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites during the twelve-day war, the Iranian regime’s nuclear program has been destroyed. However, some observers believe that although these attacks caused serious damage, they did not eliminate Tehran’s nuclear program. On December 18, the Institute for Science and International Security reported, based on satellite imagery, that the Iranian regime is attempting to conceal the remnants of the Natanz site from observers. In recent days, some reports have indicated the possibility of another Israeli attack on Iran. NBC News reported on December 20 that Israeli officials believe the Iranian regime is expanding its ballistic missile program and that, as a result, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present options to the U.S. president in his upcoming meeting for Washington to join Israel in a potential attack on Iran. On December 21, during a visit to Israel, Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican senator, said that if it becomes clear that the Iranian regime is resuming nuclear enrichment and increasing the production of ballistic missiles to threaten Israel and even Europe, Iran must be attacked before these actions materialize.
Earthquake In Tehran Would Be Deadlier Than War
Ali Nassiri, head of Tehran’s Disaster Prevention and Management Organization, warned about the consequences of a major earthquake in the capital, saying that an earthquake with a magnitude above six could cause human losses far heavier than war.
Nassiri, head of Tehran’s Disaster Prevention and Management Organization, said in an interview on Wednesday, December 24, with ISNA, a state-run news agency, that earthquakes are “the most important and most destructive threat facing Tehran.” He added that an earthquake would be even more devastating for the capital than war, because if a severe earthquake occurs, the scale of human casualties could exceed the total victims of past wars and major disasters.
Rejecting rumors about the “man-made creation of earthquakes,” Nassiri stressed that major earthquakes have no human origin whatsoever and that claims about triggering earthquakes through military or nuclear tests lack any scientific basis.
Four Dead Due to “Multiple Ground Subsidence” in TehranHe added that such narratives only divert public attention from the main necessity, which is prevention and preparedness. Media in Iran reported on December 13, citing Tehran emergency officials, that land subsidence had occurred in the Valiasr Township in the south of the capital, attributing it to “sand and gravel extraction and dried-up qanats.” Jalal Maleki, spokesperson for the Tehran Fire Department, said the subsidence covered an area of about 10 meters and had a depth of about one and a half meters, trapping three vehicles that were unable to get out. Ali Beitollahi, head of the earthquake and hazards department at the Road, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center, also told the agency that the subsidence occurred early Friday morning on December 12, coinciding with the start of rainfall in Tehran, and was a type of “sudden subsidence” (ground collapse).
The destruction of a hospital, the collapse of hope
The head of Tehran’s Disaster Prevention and Management Organization, referring to the condition of hospitals, said that the collapse of a hospital is not merely the destruction of a building, but rather “the collapse of people’s hope.” According to him, hospitals are symbols of citizens’ psychological security, and damage to them during a crisis, beyond structural destruction, leads to the loss of human capital, including medical staff and patients. Mehdi Zare, a professor at the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, told Khabar Online on December 5: “Excessive pumping of groundwater in the plains of Tehran, Rey, and surrounding areas, and the resulting land subsidence, affects the activation of active faults in the region.” Zare emphasized: “Over-extraction of groundwater, especially in alluvial plains, leads to the compaction of soil and sediment layers and ultimately to land subsidence.”Prevention is more cost-effective
Emphasizing that prevention should take precedence over post-disaster response, Nassiri said that in many cases the cost of retrofitting or even fully renovating buildings is lower than the chain of costs imposed after a crisis, from debris removal and emergency sheltering to temporary housing and years-long reconstruction.Iran Ranks Third Globally in Extent of Land SubsidencePointing out that human lives cannot be priced, he said: “Experience has shown that prevention is more cost-effective, both in human and economic terms.” Nassiri stressed that public budgets and oil revenues no longer have the capacity to bear the heavy burden of widespread safety measures, and that urban management is forced to move toward modern, sustainable, and revenue-generating methods. Kamran Abdoli, deputy for prevention and fire safety at the Fire Department, said on November 1 that 80,000 unsafe buildings have been identified in Tehran. He emphasized that inspection system assessments by the Fire Department show that of these, three thousand are low-risk, 50,000 are medium-risk, and about 27,000 are high-risk buildings. Earlier, in late September, the deputy head of Tehran’s Urban Renewal Organization said that loans for renovating deteriorated urban fabric in Tehran have not been paid for about three years. Tehran is located among several active faults, including the North Tehran Fault with the potential for a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and the southern Rey and Kahrizak faults with a magnitude capacity of 6.7, a situation that has multiplied concerns over the potential for widespread earthquake damage in the capital.
Hezbollah Turns to Drug Trafficking in Venezuela as Support from Tehran Dries Up
The Washington Free Beacon, reported citing informed sources that Hezbollah, following a reduction in support from the Iranian regime, has turned to drug trafficking in Venezuela to finance itself and has expanded its presence in the country.
The outlet wrote, citing informed sources, that following the failures of the Iranian regime and its proxy groups, Hezbollah forces have increasingly traveled to Venezuela and are relying on drug trafficking for revenue more than ever before.
Marshall Billingslea, the former U.S. Treasury Department assistant secretary for terrorist financing, said in October during a hearing of the “International Narcotics Control Committee” in the U.S. Senate that more than 400 Hezbollah field commanders had been ordered to relocate to Latin America, specifically Venezuela. These commanders have joined approximately 11,000 Hezbollah-affiliated operatives who entered Venezuela between 2010 and 2019.
Lebanese FM Says Disarming Hezbollah Depends on Tehran’s ApprovalAccording to the Washington Free Beacon, although this Iranian regime–backed group has benefited from the Venezuelan government’s hospitality for years, the growing focus on drug trafficking shows that Hezbollah is seeking to secure its financial resources outside the Iranian regime. According to sources familiar with Hezbollah’s presence in Latin America, Iran used to provide more than 700 million dollars annually to Hezbollah, an amount that made up about 70% of the group’s annual budget, but it is now no longer able to adequately finance this proxy force. Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, reported on Monday, December 21, that Lebanese Hezbollah officials in recent talks with commanders of the IRGC Quds Force demanded an increase in financial assistance from the Iranian regime to about two billion dollars per year. However, Tehran agreed only to pay close to one billion dollars to its main proxy group. Matthew Leavitt, a former U.S. Treasury Department analyst on terrorist financing and a current senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the Washington Free Beacon that because of the 12-day war, the Trump administration’s sanctions snapback, and energy and water crises that have persisted in Iran for months, the Iranian regime “is reportedly unable to foot the bill for Hezbollah’s reconstruction efforts as it did after Hezbollah’s 2006 war with Israel.” According to him, Hezbollah has responded to this situation by increasingly relying on the drug trade. The main focus of Hezbollah’s activity in this field is “black cocaine,” a substance molded into coal-like bricks to prevent detection by security forces. According to the Washington Free Beacon, revenue from the sale of these drugs finances Hezbollah’s global terrorist operations, while the Venezuelan government also receives a share of the proceeds, helping sustain its own survival. An estimate by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2016 shows that Hezbollah moves up to 400 million dollars’ worth of cocaine annually through criminal networks in Latin America. According to a report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, this figure has likely increased since the war with Israel. William Barr, the former attorney general of the United States, also referred to Hezbollah’s role in drug trafficking during a podcast interview on Friday. Barr added that Venezuela is a strategic enemy and a threat to the United States. He said the country serves as a base for Hezbollah, supports the group, and plays a role in various dealings, from money laundering to other arrangements, to facilitate Hezbollah’s drug trafficking into the United States. While U.S. officials are speaking about Hezbollah’s role in drug trafficking in Venezuela, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, has also reacted to the recent pressure campaign by the Trump administration against Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela. In a public speech last week, Khamenei condemned the Trump administration’s seizure of an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea.
