{"id":329975,"date":"2025-03-31T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T06:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=329975"},"modified":"2025-03-31T18:59:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T17:59:47","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-march-31-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-march-31-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 March 31, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Supporters
Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in Heidelberg, Germany, held a bookstand on March 22, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n

UPDATE: 8:00 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Suspected Missile Cargo Ship Arrives in Iran from China<\/h3>\n

\"Newsweek-Logo\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Jairan<\/em>, an Iranian cargo ship linked to the transport of missile components, has been spotted in Bandar Abbas port after departing China.\u00a0According to\u00a0The Maritime Executive<\/a><\/em>, the vessel, under U.S. sanctions, has arrived in Iran despite ongoing concerns over Iran’s missile capabilities and its ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).<\/p>\n

The Jairan has been linked to Iran’s procurement of sodium perchlorate, a chemical used in solid rocket fuel, according to\u00a0The Financial Times<\/em>. Iran’s reported transfer of missile propellant chemicals to its armed forces signals a possible military buildup. If China is assisting Tehran in acquiring these materials, tensions could escalate with the\u00a0U.S. and its regional allies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 6:30 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former CENTCOM Commander: \u201cAll Paths Lead Back to Tehran\u201d<\/h3>\n

\"cbs<\/p>\n

In an interview with CBS\u2019s Face the Nation<\/em><\/a> on March 30, 2025, General Frank McKenzie, the former commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), warned that the Iranian regime remains the primary supplier of arms and support to Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels.<\/p>\n

McKenzie stated, \u201cAll paths in this matter lead back to Tehran, and we need to know and understand that. They\u2019re the principal supplier for the Houthis.\u201d He added that the Iranian regime has been \u201cbackpedaling\u201d from its relationship with the Houthis while continuing to provide material support.<\/p>\n

The retired general also emphasized that the U.S. should leave \u201call options on the table,\u201d including direct actions against Tehran. \u201cWhen you take things off the table, it tends to give aid and comfort to the enemy. We\u2019ve done too much of that. I think we should leave everything on the table, and I would also leave on the table actions against Tehran itself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

McKenzie\u2019s remarks highlight ongoing U.S. concerns over Tehran\u2019s destabilizing influence in the Middle East, particularly through its backing of militant groups like the Houthis. According to McKenzie, the Houthis \u201cexist because of Iranian support\u201d and, to a lesser extent, Russian support.<\/p>\n

His comments come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran\u2019s nuclear program and regional activities. The general\u2019s remarks also follow U.S. military operations targeting the Houthis in Yemen, which he characterized as demonstrating new political will and military capability under the current administration.<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 12:30 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

US Airstrikes Pound Yemen\u2019s Capital Overnight, Killing at Least 1, Houthi Rebels Say<\/h3>\n

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) \u2014 Suspected U.S. airstrikes struck around Yemen\u2019s rebel-held capital overnight into Monday morning, and\u00a0the Iranian-backed Houthis<\/a>\u00a0said at least one person was killed.<\/p>\n

The full extent of the damage and possible casualties wasn\u2019t immediately clear. The attacks followed a\u00a0night of airstrikes early Friday<\/a>\u00a0that appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15.<\/p>\n

The strikes around Sanaa, Yemen\u2019s capital held by the Houthis since 2014, also wounded four others, the rebels said. Their al-Masirah satellite news channel aired footage of broken glass littering homes after the concussive blast of the bombs, but continued not to show the targets of the attacks \u2014 suggesting the sites had a military or intelligence function.<\/p>\n

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

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Time to Stand Up to Iran’s Policy of Hostage Taking<\/h3>\n

\"townhall-logo\"<\/p>\n

The Iranian regime has often borrowed heavily from the Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels\u2019 playbook, using propaganda and the tactics of demonization to traduce the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK<\/a>) \u2013 the main democratic opposition movement to the mullahs\u2019 tyranny. However, it is sad when such tactics are mirrored almost word-for-word in the lazy, poorly researched, and absurdly distorted article in Le Canard Encha\u00een\u00e9, which relies on worn-out smears pumped out by Iran\u2019s sinister Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS).<\/p>\n

I have to ask the question: why now? Is it simply a happy coincidence that two French hostages have just been released by the Iranian authorities, who have weaponized hostage-taking to put pressure on Western appeasers? Could the egregious media coverage in France be part of the agreed ransom?<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 8:00 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

From Life Sentence to Cemetery Tirade: How Appeasement Empowers Genocide Perpetrators in Iran<\/h3>\n

On March 24, 2025,\u00a0Hamid Noury<\/a>, one of the perpetrators in the massacre of more than 30,000 Iranian political prisoners in the summer of 1988, undertook a despicable act by\u00a0going to Behesht-e Zahra<\/a>, Tehran\u2019s main cemetery, and engaging in boasting and ranting in Section 92.<\/p>\n

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Hamid Noury, one of the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran, threatens dissidents and former political prisoners by visiting Behesht-e Zahra cemetery: "You should have all been here but you escaped and went abroad."
Credit: @HanifJazayeri<\/a>\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/C6Rgbe5JoP<\/a><\/p>\n

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n