{"id":319180,"date":"2024-05-07T06:00:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T05:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=319180"},"modified":"2024-05-07T20:06:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T19:06:54","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-may-7-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-may-7-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 May 7, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h2>\n

UPDATE: 9:00 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Capacity To Move Oil Reliant On Malaysian Providers, US Official Says<\/h3>\n

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The United States sees Iran\u2019s capacity to move its oil as reliant on service providers based in Malaysia, with oil being transferred near Singapore and throughout the region, the U.S. Treasury Department\u2019s top sanctions official said on Tuesday.\u00a0Brian Nelson, Treasury\u2019s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, was speaking during a four-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia, which the department said aimed to advance its work in countering financing and revenue generation by Iran and its proxies.<\/p>\n

The trip comes as the Treasury increases its focus on financing for militant groups routed through Southeast Asia, including through fundraising efforts and illicit sales of Iranian oil.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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I Was Shot in Face By An Iranian Assassin \u2013 If We Don\u2019t Stop This Poisonous Regime They Will Launch Attacks Across West<\/h3>\n

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A TOP politician who narrowly survived an assassination attempt he believes was ordered by the Iranian regime has warned there’ll be more attacks in the West.\u00a0Dr Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0shot in the face<\/a>\u00a0outside his apartment building in Madrid,\u00a0Spain<\/a>, last November by a hitman on a motorcycle.<\/p>\n

Speaking during a visit to London today to attend an event held by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), for which he was provided a heavy security detail by the British government, Vidal-Quadras described the day of the assassination attempt on November 9, 2023.<\/p>\n

It’s taken the brave politician – who has been a long-time supporter of the NCRI, a political group calling for regime change in Iran – six months to recover – but he said he was left with serious psychical and psychological injuries.\u00a0“The worst part to be frank was the psychological part because after this attack I was in a state of post-traumatic shock,” he said.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 1:00 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iran Protests: As Rapper Toomaj Salehi And Nika Shakarami, 16, Have Discovered, Being Young And Opinionated Can Lead To A Death Sentence<\/h3>\n

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In the same week as an explosive leaked document from\u00a0Iran<\/a>\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) revealed the murder in custody of a 16-year-old girl, a revolutionary court in Isfahan sentenced a young rapper to death for making a fool of the regime in his lyrics. The combined scandal has exposed the theocratic regime\u2019s toxic anti-youth culture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The leaked IRGC document \u2013\u00a0extensively analysed and verified by the BBC<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 shows how the teenage girl Nika Shakarami was involved in the nationwide protests in September 2022, following the death of the young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, who was beaten to death in custody by Tehran\u2019s notorious \u2018morality police\u2019 for not wearing her hijab properly.<\/p>\n

There are increasing signs that the brutal repression of women and young people by the mullahs has backfired. Resistance units are burgeoning across Iran, with crowds of protesters chanting \u201cWomen, Resistance, Freedom\u201d and demanding the overthrow of the theocratic regime and the installation of a secular, democratic republic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 9:00 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Foreign Intelligence Services Are Contracting Out Killings To Gangs<\/h3>\n

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The\u00a0arrests<\/a>\u00a0of three suspected hitmen accused of killing a B.C. Sikh leader highlight an emerging security problem: foreign intelligence services are contracting their dirty work to the criminal underworld.<\/p>\n

Governments are increasingly accused of trying to silence and kill opponents outside their borders, and they are relying more and more on crime groups to do so, officials and experts told Global News.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s intelligence service was recently\u00a0accused<\/a>\u00a0of hiring Canadian Hell\u2019s Angels to kill dissidents in the United States. Indian intelligence, meanwhile, allegedly employed a drug trafficker to kill a U.S. Sikh activist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing this with the\u00a0Iranians<\/a>\u00a0as well. They\u2019re hiring people connected to organized crime, private investigators \u2014 even the Russians, to a certain extent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Ministry of Intelligence and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has used gangs to target regime opponents in Europe and North America, including dissidents, activists, and journalists.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 7:00 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looting The Society under Pretext of Hijab<\/h3>\n

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Amidst the turmoil of the Iranian regime\u2019s campaign to impose mandatory hijab, retirees in different cities are chanting, \u201cTheir slogan is hijab, but their action is plunder and theft!\u201d<\/p>\n

These slogans reflect the deep awareness of the oppressed and awakened segments of Iran, who know well the hidden objectives behind the underlying motives of the regime\u2019s so-called hijab campaign. By enforcing the hijab, the regime seeks to escalate the atmosphere of suppression to hinder the eruption of social protests against systematic theft by state and regime officials.<\/p>\n

It is significant that Kazem Sadiqi, the Secretary of the Committee for Encouraging of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the body that enforces the hijab rules, was involved in a recently revealed embezzlement case that involved a cherry orchard.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Repressive Hijab Crackdown Continues, with the State Security Force Linking all CCTV Cameras<\/h3>\n

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A member of the mullahs\u2019 parliament has declared that all CCTV cameras in both government and private offices will be linked to the State Security Force (SSF). This move aims to facilitate the thorough identification of women who remove their hijab in public spaces.<\/p>\n

Amirhossein Bankipour, a member of the regime\u2019s parliament, made this announcement regarding the\u00a0Hijab and Chastity Bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During a speech covered by the state-run media, Amirhossein Bankipour stated: \u201cOur cultural solution in this bill is long-term, while our economic solutions serve as mid-term auxiliary measures. We have categorized the punishments accordingly. The lowest tier of punishment involves fining passers-by and individuals who remove their hijab in virtual spaces.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Rising Rates of Suicides Among Female Doctors in Iran<\/h3>\n

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In recent years, Iran has witnessed a distressing surge in the rates of suicides among medical professionals, particularly female doctors. The gravity of this issue poses a significant threat to the stability of Iran\u2019s healthcare system.<\/p>\n

According to a report by Donya-e Eqtesad, there has been a staggering 130% increase in suicides among female doctors and 40% in male doctors\u2019 suicides. Donya-e Eqtesad also mentioned that the suicide of doctors had increased fivefold in the last few years.<\/p>\n

Before this in January, the state-run Etemad daily wrote in a report that in 10 months, 16 medical assistants committed suicide.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s Secret Drone Factory Training Hezbollah for Attacks on Israel, Reveals Telegraph<\/h3>\n

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According to a report by The\u00a0Telegraph<\/a>, Iran has been rapidly expanding a top-secret drone factory near Qom, where they are training Hezbollah fighters to carry out drone attacks on northern Israel. Leaked classified documents from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) show the facility has tripled in size since its establishment in 2006, despite facing US sanctions.<\/p>\n

The drone HQ, owned by Qods Aviation Industry Company (blacklisted by the US since 2013), has significantly expanded its runway from 500 meters in 2007 to 1,500 meters in 2020, allowing for the operation of larger, longer-range drones like those used in the recent attack on Israel.<\/p>\n

Intelligence gathered by the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) reveals the Gangine Center trains leaders of regional terror groups, most notably Hezbollah. It serves as a training ground for both drone testing and pilot training, with reports suggesting militants are trained in small groups.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s Drug Crisis Deepens Despite Minister\u2019s Claims<\/h3>\n

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While the Iranian Minister of Health, Bahram Eynollahi, insists on a solution to the country\u2019s drug problem, reports paint a grim picture of a worsening crisis and significant challenges faced by pharmacies.<\/p>\n

Despite public complaints about the lack of essential medicines, especially for special needs patients, Minister Eynollahi, on May 1st, criticized the increasing preference for imported drugs. He claimed the ministry\u2019s focus is on supporting domestic knowledge-based companies to address the shortage.<\/p>\n

However, Eynollahi\u2019s criticism rings hollow in a situation where the scarcity extends beyond imported medications to domestically produced ones. The disrupted drug distribution cycle has created significant difficulties for both pharmacies and manufacturers, leading to the closures of some pharmacies since late 2023.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iranian Women Face Sharply Rising Unemployment Rates<\/h3>\n

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Official statistics contradict claims by Iranian officials, revealing a significant increase in the unemployment rate of women aged 15-24 during winter 2023 compared to the previous year. Lorestan province, for instance, saw a staggering 218% rise, reaching an alarming 86.2% unemployment within this age group.<\/p>\n

In late 2023, the Iranian Statistics Center reported a 27.8% unemployment rate for women and a 13% rate for men in 2022, highlighting the stark gender disparity in the Iranian workforce.<\/p>\n

The Eco Iran website further analyzed this crisis, attributing it to a key factor in the increased migration of young Iranian women. Their report found that 36.4% of women seeking work in this age group remained unemployed, compared to only 19.5% of men in the same situation last winter.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Outcry Erupts as Notorious Iranian Corruptor Receives Lenient Sentence<\/h3>\n

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While Iranians were reeling from the tragic deaths of Nika Shakarami during the 2022 protests and the imminent execution of Toomaj Salehi, the regime\u2019s judiciary made a shocking announcement. Babak Zanjani, a notorious figure at the center of the worst corruption case in Iranian history, was granted amnesty despite facing charges of \u201ccorruption on earth\u201d \u2013 a crime typically punishable by death.\u00a0Zanjani\u2019s lawyer claimed that his client\u2019s assets were returned to the country, leading the Supreme Leader to grant amnesty and reduce the death sentence to 20 years. With over 10 years already served, Zanjani is now eligible for parole.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s Gold Merchants on Strike in Several Cities<\/h3>\n

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Reports and images circulated on social media indicate the expansion of protests and strikes by gold sellers in several cities in Iran.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, May 5, videos and images were released showing gold sellers in several cities of Iran joining the strike of merchants in this profession and closing their shops.\u00a0Some gold sellers in the Tehran market, starting from April 28, protested against the regime\u2019s parliamentary tax resolution and the reactivation of the \u201cComprehensive Trade System\u201d and went on strike, closing their shops.<\/p>\n

In the following days, gold sellers in the markets of Tabriz, Hamedan, and Isfahan also joined this strike.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Mahmoud Mehrabi, A Political Prisoner, Was Sentenced to Execution in The Court of Isfahan<\/h3>\n

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On Sunday, May 5, 2024, Mahmoud Mehrabi, a 35-year-old political prisoner from Mobarakeh city, who is currently held in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, was sentenced to execution by Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan on charges of \u201ccorruption on earth.\u201d This verdict has been issued after more than 15 months of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Babak Eslami Farsani, one of Mr. Mehrabi\u2019s defense lawyers, wrote on his X page, \u201cMy client, Mahmoud Mehrabi, has been sentenced to execution by the immediate verdict of Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan on charges of corruption on earth. The notification of the verdict was issued without any attachments, which my colleague became aware of by attending the branch and studying the case. Hopefully, the serious flaws in the verdict will be addressed and taken into consideration by the Supreme Court of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Germany\u2014May 4, 2024: MEK Supporters Rallied in Cologne, D\u00fcsseldorf, and Kassel in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution<\/h3>\n
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D\u00fcsseldorf, Germany\u2014May 4, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution.<\/div><\/div>
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