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UPDATE: 6:30 PM CET
U.S. Sanctions Alleged Hezbollah Sanctions Evasion Team
March 28 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned five people and 3 companies for alleged involvement in a sanctions evasion network.
The sanctioned targets are part of an evasion network supporting the Hezbollah finance team, according to the Treasury Department.
“These evasion networks strengthen Iran and its proxy Hezbollah and undermine the courageous efforts of the Lebanese people to build a Lebanon for all its citizens,” Treasury’s Bradley T. Smith said in a statement.
Individuals sanctioned were Rashid Qasim al-Bazzal, Mahasin Mahmud Murtada, Fatimah ‘Abdallah Ayyub, Hawra’ ‘Abdallah Ayyub, and Jamil Mohamad Khafaja.
Gen. Jack Keane Says Trump Ultimatum Puts Iranian Regime “Back on Its Heels”
In an interview with Fox News on March 26, retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane said the Trump administration has fundamentally shifted U.S. strategy toward the Iranian regime, issuing a stark ultimatum over the regime’s nuclear program and holding it directly responsible for attacks by regional proxies like the Houthis.
Speaking to host Martha MacCallum, Keane criticized the previous administration’s passivity in the face of Iranian aggression, revealing that CENTCOM had recommended over 100 targets inside Iran during President Biden’s term to deter attacks on U.S. troops and shipping — targets that were never acted on.
By contrast, Gen. Keane said, the Trump administration has now launched a “consequential air campaign” in response to Iran-backed Houthi strikes, with over 100 attacks conducted in less than two weeks. “This is not a pinprick,” he said. “He [Trump] is pointing the finger directly at the Iranians… and that has beef behind it. That is not idle rhetoric.”
Gen. Keane emphasized that the new policy marks a return to deterrence through strength. “The Trump team is taking a completely different tack. They are pinning the rose on [Iran], and they are back on their heels.”
Perhaps most notably, Gen. Keane disclosed that President Trump has issued what he called an ultimatum to Tehran: “Dismantle your nuclear enterprise—with verifiable, independent oversight-or suffer the consequences.”
The message to the Iranian regime is unambiguous. “We have a huge opportunity here to really take Iran off the board as a major malign actor in the Middle East, which they have been for 44 years,” Gen. Keane said.
UPDATE: 11:30 AM CET
Dutch Security Service Raises Alarm Over Iranian Regime’s Threat to Diaspora
The Dutch security service AIVD has raised serious concerns about the growing risks faced by Iranian dissidents in the Netherlands. A new report, set to be discussed in the Tweede Kamer on Thursday, reveals that the Iranian regime is intensifying efforts to silence critics living in the Netherlands, using tactics such as intimidation, surveillance, and targeted violence, including assassination attempts.
The AIVD states that the Iranian government has been relying on various methods to target Iranian activists and critics in the diaspora. This includes using proxies, such as criminal organizations, to carry out operations, which allows the regime to deny responsibility for violent acts abroad.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
Khamenei Blames Iran’s People for An Economic Disaster of His Own Making
In a speech on March 20, 2025, Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, “This same liquidity that is in the hands of the people, when some spend it on gold coins, land, housing, foreign currency, it creates problems for the country.”
Khamenei, who leads the corrupt regime that is at the core of Iran’s economic problems, blamefully pointed the finger at the people for the unprecedented and terrifying volume of “liquidity.”
But what is the truth?
This enormous liquidity, now used as a pretext to blame the people for the regime’s corrupt practices, is the result of large-scale, repeated printing of unbacked money by the regime. According to the regime’s own experts, this unprecedented money printing is one of the main reasons the Iranian economy has been driven to the brink of collapse—yet now, Khamenei blames the Iranian people for it.
The Decline of Iranian Universities in Global Rankings: Causes and Consequences
The latest SCImago 2025 ranking has confirmed the continued decline in the global standing of Iranian universities and educational institutions. SCImago, one of the three major university ranking systems, evaluates academic institutions worldwide based on research output, innovation, and international collaboration. These rankings rely on indicators such as the number of published articles, scientific citations, international research partnerships, and the overall impact of academic work.
Over the past four years, Iranian universities have experienced a significant decline in their rankings. Among the top 20 universities in Iran, only Tehran Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences has seen a slight improvement, while all other institutions have suffered a drop in position.
Liyan Darvish and Farzaneh Mohammadi Parsa: Alarming Conditions for Political Prisoners in Evin Prison
Two political prisoners, Liyan Darvish, and Farzaneh Mohammadi Parsa, are facing severe hardships and violations of their basic rights in Evin Prison.
Liyan Darvish, a 40-year-old mother from Gilan Province, has been held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison since March 2024, serving a five-year sentence on charges including “assembly and collusion against national security,” “insulting Khamenei,” and “propaganda against the regime.” She is currently suffering from a severe kidney and bladder infection and is in urgent need of medical treatment. However, prison authorities have repeatedly denied her access to proper healthcare and transfer to a hospital.
Iran-Backed Iraqi Armed Groups Relocate Bases and Weapons Depots
Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups have carried out large-scale relocations and changes to their bases and weapons depots.
Sources affiliated with these groups confirmed this and told the media that with the renewed war in Gaza and recent attacks in Lebanon, some political factions in Iraq, “fearing an Israeli attack,” have put “pressure on Iran-aligned armed groups.”
A senior member of the “Iraqi Resistance Coordination” told the media that Iraq’s Prime Minister had recently contacted the leaders of these groups, urging them to refrain from any “military action against Israel.”
Systemic Corruption Sinking the Iranian Regime’s Ship
In a rare admission that reflects the depth of Iran’s economic collapse and political unrest, Majid-Reza Hariri, head of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, exposed unprecedented levels of financial corruption and organized smuggling within state institutions. He warned that the “’Iranian ship”’ is on the verge of sinking unless the many holes of corruption are urgently sealed.
According to his candid statements, Iran is witnessing an annual capital outflow of $25 billion—an average of approximately $68 million per day—in an economy that has lost all forms of transparency and oversight. Hariri explained that nearly $20 billion of this figure is due to unregulated imports, while $10 billion is smuggled out of the country as capital flight, invested in real estate in cities such as Toronto, Barcelona, Dubai, Istanbul, and Muscat. He stressed that this ongoing financial hemorrhaging is driven by a corrupt environment that pushes the wealthy to transfer their fortunes abroad in search of safety.
Berlin, March 26, 2025: MEK Supporters’ Exhibition Sheds Light on Human Rights Violations in Iran
Berlin, Germany – March 26, 2025: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held an exhibition to highlight human rights violations in Iran. The event focused on the country’s dire human rights situation, with particular attention to the plight of political prisoners facing death sentences.