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UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
Iran Faces Dual Crisis Amid Currency Drop and Loss of Major Regional Ally
Iran is confronting its worst set of crises in years, facing a spiraling economy along with a series of unprecedented geopolitical and military blows to its power in the Middle East.
Over the weekend, Iran’s currency, the rial, hit a record low of 756,000 to the dollar, according to Reuters. Since September, the embattled currency has suffered the ripple effects of devastating hits to Iran’s proxies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian militant group Hamas, as well as the November election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.
With the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad amid a shock offensive by rebel groups, Tehran lost its most important ally in the Middle East. Assad, who is accused of war crimes against his own people, fled to Russia and left a highly fractured country behind him.
US Forces Strike Houthi Command Hub in Yemen; USS Truman Sails in Middle East
U.S. forces in the Middle East launched an airstrike this week against a Houthi militant facility in Yemen that facilitated the Iran-backed group’s armed assaults on shipping in the region, U.S. Central Command said. Monday’s strike targeted “a hub for coordinating Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a statement the same day. The statement didn’t identify the specific forces used in the strike, but the Pentagon has beefed up its presence in the region with additional Air Force bombers, fighter jets and refueling aircraft.
Founder of Iranian Company Arrested for Providing Material Support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and for Scheme to Procure Sensitive U.S. Technology for Use in IRGC Military Drones, One of Which Killed Three U.S. Servicemembers
Founder of Iranian Company and his Co-Defendant, an Employee of a U.S. Microelectronics Manufacturer, Also Charged with Violating Export Control Laws in Conspiracy to Procure Sensitive U.S. Technology for Use in IRGC Military Drones
Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, a dual U.S.-Iranian national of Natick, Massachusetts, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, also known as Mohammad Abedini (Abedini), 38, of Tehran, Iran, have been charged with conspiring to export sophisticated electronic components from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws. Abedini is also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members who were killed by a one-way attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, on a military base in Jordan.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Safavi: The Bell Tolled for Syria’s Assad, It Is for Tehran
As the Assad regime has collapsed and the tyrant himself fled ahead of the revolutionary surge through Damascus, the audacity of Iran’s clerical leadership — its president Masoud Pezeshkian and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi — soars to new heights of hypocrisy.
Their recent declarations championing the right of the Syrian people to self-determination, free from foreign interference, would seem noble — if they weren’t so glaringly absurd, coming as they do from them.
The Iranian regime’s foreign ministry’s statement last week — that the “decision on the future of Syria is the responsibility of the Syrian people alone, without destructive interference or external coercion” — is an ironic masterpiece of shamelessness, duplicity, and sheer gall.
Two Iranian Citizens Charged in Connection to Drone Strike That Killed 3 US Soldiers in Jordan
Two Iranian citizens are facing federal charges in connection to a drone strike that killed three US Army soldiers and injured dozens more in Jordan early this year, the US Justice Department announced Monday. The men, 42-year-old Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi and 38-year-old Mohammad Abedini are charged with conspiring to export electronic equipment from the United States to Iran. Sadeghi, who is a dual US-Iranian citizen, lives in Massachusetts and made his initial appearance in court on Monday.
Abedini is also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and was arrested Monday in Italy.
U.S.: Iran Retreats from Syria Following Assad’s Fall, Policies Declared a Failure
The United States has confirmed that the clerical regime in Iran is withdrawing personnel and equipment from Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, marking a significant blow to Tehran’s influence in the region. During a December 16 press briefing, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller described Iran’s interventionist policies as failed and underscored the weakening of its proxy networks.
Miller stated, “The factual situation has changed, but you do have a period of instability in Syria… you have seen Iran’s influence inside Syria weakened quite considerably.”
When asked about the potential risks of Tehran accelerating its nuclear ambitions in the wake of its regional setbacks, Miller reaffirmed Washington’s firm position: “President Biden will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Period, full stop.”
He further criticized the regime’s destabilizing actions over the past decade, stating that authoritarian regimes relying on such behavior “are going to be weak, they’re going to be brittle.” Miller highlighted the combined weakening of Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia’s military capabilities, describing it as a major shift in regional dynamics.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Maryam Rajavi Meets with Gilbert Mitterrand, President of the France Libertés Foundation
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, Maryam Rajavi met with Mr. Gilbert Mitterrand, President of the France Libertés Foundation, former member of the French Parliament, and former Mayor of Libourne.
During the meeting, Maryam Rajavi paid tribute to the late Mrs. Danielle Mitterrand, saying: “Danielle was a symbol of human values. She stood by us during difficult times, sending letters and messages of support to the residents of Ashraf.”
Mr. Mitterrand expressed his gratitude for honoring his mother’s memory, stating: She always followed your struggle closely and saw in you a source of hope and faith in victory.
Referring to recent developments, Mr. Mitterrand remarked: The Iranian regime has grown extremely weak, and the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile. Circumstances are shifting.
The “Chastity and Hijab Bill” Is A Manifestation of Iranian Regime’s Instability
A society prone to sudden and explosive uprisings imposes significant costs on an illegitimate regime.
A society that has decided against a totalitarian regime creates inevitable hardships and irreparable deadlocks for the ruling system. The Iranian regime’s new “Chastity and Hijab” bill, passed by the Majlis (Parliament), has become so controversial at this critical juncture that some regime officials and media are warning that “Now is not the time for this bill.”
The inhumane “Chastity and Hijab” bill is the clerical regime’s ultimate misogynistic weapon to enforce maximum social repression and shift the heavy costs of its crises and deadlocks onto Iranian society.
Syria’s Revolution and the Crumbling Foundations of Iranian Regime’s Influence
The strategic collapse of the so-called “resistance” axis and the weakening of the Iranian regime’s influence in Syria have plunged the regime into a state of anxiety and disarray. The regime’s reactions, as well as the commentary from its leaders and media outlets, reveal a mixture of astonishment, panic, and confusion. This atmosphere was evident in the speech of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on December 11, where he attempted to downplay the regime’s failures while bolstering the morale of his shaken supporters.
In his speech, Khamenei admitted that the regime’s supporters have become disillusioned and passive—a development he deemed more dangerous than the strategic failure in Syria itself. He confessed his surprise at the speed of the Syrian revolution, stating: “The incident in Syria is a lesson for each of us. One of the lessons of this issue is neglecting the enemy. In this incident, the enemy acted quickly.”
The Livelihood Crisis in Iran: A Nation Endures While Proxy Groups Thrive
While the Iranian regime allocates vast amounts of public funds to strengthen and equip its proxy groups across the region, domestic challenges continue to mount. Political and religious institutions claim significant portions of the national budget, leaving retirees and workers grappling with basic needs, including healthcare and food security. This disparity highlights a growing livelihood crisis that threatens to destabilize Iranian society. For many retirees, the rising cost of living has turned the dream of a carefree retirement into a daily struggle for survival. Healthcare costs, which should be a guaranteed right, remain unaffordable for a significant portion of retirees. Despite dedicating decades to their professions, many are forced to prioritize basic necessities over medical treatment.
Iran’s Weapons Route Obliterated, Hezbollah Leader Admits
Naim Qassem, the leader of Hezbollah, stated that the group has lost its primary supply route for weapons from the Iranian regime, which passed through Syria.
This is the first time the Hezbollah leader publicly acknowledged that the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria has impacted the group’s ability to procure weapons following heavy Israeli attacks.
Under Assad’s rule, Syria was Iran’s most significant state ally in a regional coalition, which included political groups and militias like Hezbollah. It also served as the primary geographical link for transferring weapons and equipment from Iran to Lebanon.
Assad’s overthrow has jeopardized Syria’s relationship with the Iranian regime and raised questions about its future ties with Hezbollah, which fought alongside Assad against the rebels.
Domestic Violence Against Women in Iran
Official statistics in Iran indicate that an average of over 74,000 women annually visit forensic medical centers for examinations related to spousal abuse. In other words, one in every 300 married women in Iran seeks assistance from forensic services to report domestic violence. However, not all cases are reported. Estimates suggest that the actual instances of domestic violence against women in Iran are approximately 100 times higher than this figure.
The latest statistics from the World Bank’s gender data section reveal that nearly one-third of women in Iran experience violence from their intimate partners. This rate is the third highest in the region after Afghanistan and Turkey.
Estimates from UN Women, the United Nations Agency for gender equality, show that 133 women are victims of femicide every day worldwide or at least five women per hour.
Increasing Poverty and High School Students Entering the Workforce in Iran
The state-run website Tejarat News published an article, which it removed shortly after without explanation, stating that escalating poverty in Iran has led a significant portion of high school students to join the labor market, often forcing them to drop out of school.
Tejarat News highlighted that “working students are another indicator of poverty in society,” adding that “many students cannot afford school supplies and educational materials.”
According to this report, another issue plaguing the education sector, particularly in public secondary schools, is the absence of students from their classes. The report stressed that “most of these students are working.” It further explained that “they skip class hours to help cover their family’s living expenses.”