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Israel's spy chief says Iran mission will only end when 'extremist regime' is replaced

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:55:27 -0400

Mossad Director Dadi Barnea declared Tuesday that Israel’s operations against Iran will end "only once the extremist regime in Iran is replaced."

Barnea made the remark during a Holocaust commemoration event, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"We meticulously planned so that our operations would continue and manifest themselves even in the period following the strikes in Tehran," Barnea reportedly said. "Our commitment will be fulfilled only once the extremist regime in Iran is replaced."

"Forty days of intense combat have led to highly significant achievements, foremost among them a blow to the enemy's central objective -- the destruction of the State of Israel," Barnea added, according to Ynetnews. "However, our mission has not yet been completed."

LIVE UPDATES: FRESH IRAN TALKS COULD BEGIN THIS WEEK AS US CONTINUES BLOCKADE ON PORTS

Israel began its Operation Roaring Lion against Iran on Feb. 28, the same day the U.S. military launched Operation Epic Fury.

The joint U.S.-Israel effort has decimated Iran’s military and missile infrastructure and resulted in the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei.

CHINA SLAMS US MILITARY BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS A 'DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE MOVE'

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is severely disfigured after sustaining leg and face injuries during initial airstrikes on Tehran in February, Reuters reported earlier this week.

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Khamenei is recovering after incurring the injuries in the Feb. 28 airstrikes that killed his father.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.

Iran in crisis as US talks collapse, Mojtaba’s ‘mafia’ regime blocks Khamenei burial: analyst

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 18:22:36 -0400

A prolonged delay in the burial of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signals a deepening crisis inside the Islamic Republic, according to a prominent Iranian strategist.

Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad’s remarks came as peace talks between the United States and Iran stalled and internal tensions raised questions about the regime’s stability.

Fortieth-day mourning ceremonies for Khamenei began in Iran on April 9, with authorities withholding information about his burial more than 40 days after his killing. A three-day state funeral scheduled for early March 2026 had already been postponed.

IRAN'S CEASEFIRE PUSH MAY BE A 'CYCLE OF DECEPTION,' ANALYSTS WARN AS SHADOWY FIGURE GAINS POWER

"Forty-four days have passed, and the regime does not have the confidence to publicly bury Mojtaba’s dead father," Sepehrrad of the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

"That is an indicator of the fear within this regime from top to bottom," Sepehrrad added, before describing how, usually, "a religious regime believes that their dead must be buried in 24 hours."

Khamenei was killed Feb. 28 in a strike targeting a regime compound in central Tehran, with a separate strike affecting his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who succeeded him.

Mojtaba is said to be still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries, three people close to his inner circle told Reuters on April 11.

Khamenei’s face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran, and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, three sources told the outlet.

"The 56-year-old is nonetheless recovering from his wounds and remains mentally sharp, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters."

IRAN MODERATES PUSHING TRUMP DEAL RISK BEING ‘ELIMINATED’ AS REGIME FRACTURES DEEPEN

He is taking part in meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing and is engaged in decision-making on major issues, including the war and negotiations with Washington, two of the sources say, according to reports.

The report came as Iran navigated diplomatic efforts with the U.S. in Islamabad aimed at easing tensions amid a two-week ceasefire, which ultimately failed to produce a breakthrough.

"Mojtaba input in the broad red lines of negotiations, even if he is not the public face," Sepehrrad claimed. "At the end of the day, for more than 10 years, he served as his father’s right-hand man and as a conduit to the IRGC."

"Mojtaba may be less rhetorical, less publicly ideological, and more operational because his primary focus is survival of the regime."

Iran also confirmed Sunday it had no plans for further peace talks after the marathon summit, where Pakistan mediated.

"No plan has yet been announced for the time, place, or next round of negotiations," Iranian state news agency Nour reported Saturday, citing the country’s Supreme National Security Council, with no statement from the new Supreme Leader.

IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI 'MISFUNCTIONING,' NOT CONTROLLING REGIME: SOURCES

"Mojtaba is less the supreme leader in the traditional sense and more the coordinator of a security-led system," Sepehrrad explained before describing him as "more like a security-backed coordinator."

"This regime does not communicate with one unified voice. It communicates by function," Sepehrrad said.

"One channel negotiates, another threatens, another punishes, and another tries to maintain ideological continuity. It is now a mafia," the strategist claimed.

"The key point is not harmony but division of labor. What holds them together is regime survival, not trust."

"What we are seeing now is deeper: a leader who lacks organic authority and therefore governs through the institution that controls force," Sepehrrad said.

On the Iranian side, negotiations, the analyst said, also did involve "diplomats," but a wider circle of security-linked figures shaping Tehran’s posture, reflecting the increasing dominance of hardline institutions.

US-SANCTIONED MOJTABA KHAMENEI NAMED IRAN’S NEXT SUPREME LEADER AFTER FATHER’S DEATH: REPORTS

"This was a brittle coalition of security men," Sepehrrad said, before describing how Mojtaba is "at the top, but is heavily reliant on the Guards, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, SNSC chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, Judiciary chief Mohseni-Ejei, and law enforcement chief Ahmad-Reza Radan."

"Several of the most important surviving figures are not primarily diplomats," Sepehrrad said before suggesting that that should "change how we should read everything coming out of Tehran."

"That is a different system from the one many Western analysts still think they are dealing with," Sepehrrad explained. "Dual track — tactical flexibility in talks and a harsher repression at home."

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"While the regime negotiates to buy time, reduce pressure on its forces, and prevent broader external escalation, internally, it is likely to intensify arrests, executions, intimidation, and internet controls now," the strategist warned.

"The regime fears internal unrest more than diplomacy," Sepehrrad said.

Iran's supreme leader severely disfigured by US strikes: report

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:30:02 -0400

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is severely disfigured after sustaining leg and face injuries during joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Tehran in February, Reuters reported Saturday.

Khamenei is recovering after incurring the injuries in the February 28 airstrikes that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. He has not been seen publicly since being hospitalized.

Despite the injuries, Khamenei allegedly remains "mentally sharp," Reuters reported, citing a trio of anonymous sources within his inner circle. The new supreme leader is in communication with the Iranian delegation in Pakistan for peace talks with a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance.

The Reuters report corroborates an earlier statement from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who told reporters March 13 that Khamenei was "likely disfigured."

IRAN POSTPONES TEHRAN FAREWELL CEREMONY FOR KHAMENEI WHERE LARGE CROWDS WERE EXPECTED TO GATHER

He then reiterated the claim at a press conference Thursday while outlining the U.S. military's achievements in Iran.

"Their top leadership was systematically eliminated, their previous Iranian supreme leader dead, the supreme national security council secretary dead, the supreme leader office advisor dead, the supreme leader military office chief dead, the defense minister no longer with us, the IRGC commander dead, the armed forces general staff commander dead, the intelligence minister dead, the IRGC navy commander no longer here, the IRGC Intel chief dead," Hegseth said.

"I skipped over a bunch, and I could go on and on and on, to include the new so-called new supreme leader, wounded and disfigured. This new regime was out of options and out of time, so they cut a deal."

NEW IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER 'LIKELY DISFIGURED,' HEGSETH SAYS

Despite his weakened condition, Khamenei vowed to put up resistance in a defiant written statement Thursday.

"Iran is not seeking war but will not forfeit its rights and considers all resistance fronts as a unified entity," the statement said.

Hegseth dismissed the statement as "weak" in his March press conference.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS REGIME IS 'CRUMBLING' AFTER KILLING OF KHAMENEI, OTHER LEADERS

"It was a written statement. Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement?" Hegseth asked. "I think you know why. His father, dead. He's scared, he's injured, he's on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It's a mess for them. Who's in charge? Iran may not even know."

Sources reportedly told Reuters that Khamenei could enter the public spotlight in a month or two but only if "his health and the security situation allowed.

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While many publicly question where and when we may see the supreme leader again, Iranian hardliners stress the importance of him keeping a low-profile.

"Why should he appear in public? To become a target for these criminals?" an Iranian militiaman asked Reuters in a text message.

Trump’s apocalyptic Iran warning raises stakes for sweeping US strike threat

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:16:20 -0400

President Donald Trump warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" as a deadline looms for Iran to agree to U.S. demands, escalating his rhetoric even as last-minute negotiations continue through intermediaries to avert sweeping military strikes.

Trump has set a Tuesday night deadline for Iran to accept terms that include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil artery, as U.S. officials — including Vice President JD Vance — continue back-channel talks through intermediaries such as Pakistan.

But significant gaps remain, and the president's latest comments raise the risk the U.S. may move forward with strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, including power and transportation systems and beyond.

TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE 'SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL' AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT 'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'

Trump’s latest remarks mark a sharp escalation from earlier warnings focused on infrastructure. He also suggested Iran had undergone "complete and total regime change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail."

Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s supreme leader after U.S. strikes killed his father, Ali Khamenei, though his current status and control remain unclear amid conflicting reports.

And Iran has threatened to take action if Trump follows through on his threats.

"Iran will not stand idle in the face of such egregious war crimes," said Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations. "It will exercise without hesitation its inherent right of self-defense, and will take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures."

Diplomatic efforts to avert a wider conflict are ongoing but increasingly strained, with mediators including Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey working to broker a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz before broader talks can begin.

"We are absolutely in touch with" Iran, a senior U.S. official told ӣ��Ƶ. "Absolutely. (The talks) have been positive. If we get lucky, we will have something by the end of the day."

Iran repeatedly has rejected a temporary truce in favor of a permanent end to the war, while U.S. officials have dismissed Tehran’s proposals as insufficient, leaving key differences unresolved as the deadline approaches.

Trump underscored the threat in a profanity-laced Truth Social post Sunday, declaring that "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day" in Iran and warning that the country’s infrastructure would be destroyed if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He told Iran to "open the F---in’ Strait… or you’ll be living in Hell."

As the deadline nears, the conflict already is intensifying on the ground. Airstrikes hit parts of Iran's capital city of Tehran Tuesday, while Iranian officials urged civilians to form human chains around power plants in an effort to deter potential U.S. attacks on critical infrastructure, Iranian state media reported.

Overnight, the U.S. struck dozens of military sites on Kharg Island — including bunkers, radar stations and ammunition storage facilities — a senior U.S. official told ӣ��Ƶ. The island is Iran’s primary oil export hub, making it one of the regime’s most critical economic assets.

By targeting military sites while avoiding energy infrastructure, the strikes suggest the U.S. is applying pressure while holding Iran’s oil lifeline at risk as a potential next step if the deadline passes without a deal.

Israel also has signaled a potential expansion of the target set to include Iran’s rail network, warning civilians to avoid trains ahead of possible strikes. Rail lines play a critical role in moving military forces and equipment, particularly in and out of Tehran, and disrupting them could significantly limit Iran’s ability to reposition assets and sustain operations.

While Trump has centered his deadline on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the negotiations have expanded into a broader dispute over ending the war, including Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, sanctions relief and security guarantees — issues that remain unresolved as both sides clash over what concessions must come first.

Trump’s "civilization" remarks have raised new questions about whether the potential U.S. target set could extend beyond bridges and power plants to include additional infrastructure or systems tied to the Iranian regime’s ability to maintain power.

IRAN'S TALLEST BRIDGE COLLAPSES AFTER REPORTED US AIRSTRIKES, IRAN THREATENS AMERICAN ALLIES IN RETALIATION

Trump has warned that "every bridge in Iran will be decimated" and that power plants could be left "burning, exploding and never to be used again" if Tehran fails to meet his demands, underscoring the scale of potential infrastructure strikes.

Trump also has repeatedly extended similar deadlines in recent weeks, delaying threatened strikes as negotiations continued before issuing new ultimatums. The pattern has raised questions about whether the latest deadline will hold — or serve as another pressure tactic in the final hours of talks.

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes in peacetime — already has sent shock waves through global markets, raising pressure on the administration to reach a resolution while increasing the stakes of any potential military escalation.

Military options now on the table

Trump’s rhetoric has fueled questions about how far a potential U.S. strike campaign could extend beyond the infrastructure targets he has publicly identified.

Military analysts say options range from continued infrastructure strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s ability to function to a broader campaign targeting the regime’s core power centers.

The White House rapid response team shot down a post on X which quoted Vance and suggested it implied "Trump might use nuclear weapons."

"Literally nothing @VP said here ‘implies’ this, you absolute buffoons."

"The Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States. Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

A U.S. operation could focus on disabling Iran’s electrical grid, transportation networks and energy facilities — a strategy designed to create nationwide disruption and pressure leadership. Such strikes could trigger cascading effects across communications, water systems and industrial production and would impact the civilian population.

Other options could involve further targeting of leadership, facilities tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including command-and-control nodes, weapons production sites, and economic assets that fund the regime’s operations.

Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, said the president’s language suggests a focus on dismantling the regime’s underlying power structures rather than targeting Iran as a nation.

"I really think that what he's talking about are the fundamental roots and the anchors of the Islamic Republic, not of the country of Iran," Roman said.

"Everything that the United States would target in a hypothetical attack on power plants, bridges, other key points of infrastructure would really have to focus on those that are connected to the ability of the generals who are currently in charge of this regime and their ability to maintain power," he added.

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Roman said Trump’s reference to "civilization" likely reflects the 47-year rule of the Islamic Republic rather than Iranian society as a whole.

"I don't think he's speaking about Persian civilization. I think he's speaking about the 47 years that the Islamic Republic has ruled as a polity."

Iranian officials have called on civilians to help protect key infrastructure. Earlier, Iranian official Alireza Rahimi issued a video message calling on "all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors" to form human chains around power plants.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Iranians are willing to give their lives in defense of Iran.

"More than 14 million brave Iranians have so far declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I have also sacrificed my life for Iran, I am, and I will continue to do so," he wrote on X.

ӣ��Ƶ' Bill Hemmer, Jennifer Griffin and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Iran's ceasefire push may be a 'cycle of deception,' analysts warn as shadowy figure gains power

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:44:27 -0400

President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that Iran may be seeking a ceasefire, but analysts say real power lies with hardline figures inside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including newly prominent Commander Ahmad Vahidi.

Trump did not name the Iranian figure he was referring to, but his comment likely pointed to President Masoud Pezeshkian, writing: "Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"

Experts caution, however, that Iran’s president does not control decisions of war and peace.

"He clearly does not have the authority to turn on or turn off a major military conflict with the United States," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE

Instead, analysts say real power lies with senior figures tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Vahidi, Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and security official Mohammad Zolghadr, all of whom operate within overlapping centers of influence.

Attention is turning to the new terror chief seen as an extremist pulling strings, Vahidi — a longtime Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander whose reemergence highlights a broader shift underway inside Iran’s leadership.

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies, warned that even when Iran signals interest in a "ceasefire," it may not reflect a Western understanding of the term.

He pointed to the concept of "hudna," describing it as "a ceasefire with deception — they stop when they are weak, rebuild their strength, and then attack again, whether against Israel or the United States."

Sabti added that such pauses can become "a cycle of violence that does not end," driven by ideological motivations, and should not be interpreted as a genuine end to hostilities.

From covert operations to global attacks

At the center of that uncertainty is Vahidi, the new Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander.

"He is a very violent man and belongs to a generation that fought in guerrilla warfare," Sabti told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

Sabti described Vahidi as part of an early cadre of Iranian operatives who built ties with militant groups in Lebanon before and after the 1979 revolution, relationships that later became central to Iran’s regional strategy. Some accounts suggest Vahidi trained in camps linked to Palestinian and Lebanese factions in southern Lebanon, helping lay the groundwork for Iran’s long-standing alliance with Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah.

DESTROY THE REGIME’S POWER WITHOUT OCCUPYING IRAN: A SMARTER WAR PLAN

Vahidi rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and went on to serve as commander of its elite Quds Force in the 1990s, a unit responsible for overseas operations.

He has been linked to some of the deadliest attacks attributed to Iranian-backed networks abroad, including the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

Sabti said Vahidi was also accused of maintaining connections with al Qaeda figures following the Sept. 11 attacks, reflecting what he described as Iran’s willingness to cooperate with groups targeting Western and Israeli interests.

Despite later holding positions that appeared political or bureaucratic, Sabti said Vahidi never truly stepped away from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s powerful military and intelligence arm, meaning his role remained closely tied to the regime’s security and operational apparatus.

"He always remained part of the Revolutionary Guards — even wearing uniform," he said. "That’s common in Iran. Even when they move into politics, they stay within the force."

Sabti also pointed to Vahidi’s alleged role in suppressing Kurdish uprisings in northwestern Iran in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, underscoring his longstanding involvement in internal security operations.

HEGSETH REVEALS COVERT VISIT TO TROOPS FIGHTING IN OPERATION EPIC FURY

A system driven by power, not position

Vahidi’s renewed prominence comes as Iran’s internal structure appears increasingly fragmented, with authority concentrated in overlapping and sometimes competing networks.

"It’s not clear how coordinated either the military or political actions of the government of the Islamic Republic is today," Ben Taleblu said.

He described Iran as "a system of men, not a system of laws," where personal ties and informal influence often outweigh formal titles.

That dynamic has intensified as the war continues.

"We are seeing the IRGC ascendancy… across a host of Iranian political and security institutions," he said.

"This IRGC ascendancy will mean a more crass Islamic Republic, but it comes at a time when this regime is militarily less capable than ever before," he added.

More power, less restraint

Sabti said Vahidi may now be more influential than other prominent figures in Tehran, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

"In my view, he is more dominant right now, even if they are coordinated. This is not a time for internal competition," Sabti said.

He warned that Vahidi’s rise could further harden Iran’s posture.

"He brings even more radicalization into the system and may not want to stop the war, because it serves the interests of the Revolutionary Guards to continue," Sabti said.

"They could become masters of the region if the United States folds — and that is very much in his interest."

Trump’s suggestion that Iran is seeking a ceasefire has raised hopes of a potential diplomatic opening, but experts caution that such signals may not reflect a unified position inside Iran.

"The question is what was shared with President Trump genuine, or is it wheeling and dealing of just one ambitious person?" Ben Taleblu said.

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"Pezeshkian clearly does not have the authority to turn on or turn off a major military conflict with the United States," Ben Taleblu said.

That leaves open the possibility that any outreach could be tactical, fragmented, or even contradictory.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

One Month at War With Iran — Can Washington define victory?

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:00:54 -0400

Wars are not defined by the tonnage of munitions expended or ships sunk. They are defined by whether military force serves a coherent political objective. One month into Operation Epic Fury, that principle remains unlearned.

On February 28, U.S. and Israeli forces launched the largest American military action in the Middle East since Iraq. Iran’s navy has been gutted, its air defenses wrecked, and its missile production disrupted. The administration is tallying strikes and sunken ships the way commanders in Vietnam tallied body counts. Those metrics told then-President Lyndon B. Johnson nothing about whether he was winning. They tell us nothing now.

The Military Picture

Iran is still fighting. Despite losing over 150 naval vessels and its supreme leader in the opening strikes, the regime did not fracture. Mojtaba Khamenei was installed as the supreme leader within days. This past week, the IRGC’s navy commander was killed in a U.S. strike. No succession crisis followed. U.S. intelligence assessments confirmed the regime remains "intact but largely degraded." Degraded is not defeated.

DEFIANT IRAN VOWS TO FIGHT 'UNTIL COMPLETE VICTORY,' DESPITE HEAVY MILITARY LOSSES

The escalation is accelerating. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared last week that Operation Epic Fury "is not an endless war" — and that same day, the Pentagon ordered 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the theater, joining two Marine Expeditionary Units already en route. The 82nd is the Army’s forced-entry division. Its primary mission under active planning appears to be the seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub. No one has publicly articulated the exit strategy.

The munitions math is brutal. The first six days cost at least $11.3 billion in weapons alone. The U.S. builds only 96 THAAD interceptors per year; a quarter of the entire stockpile was consumed in last year’s 12-day campaign. Iran produces over one hundred ballistic missiles per month. We build six or seven interceptors in the same period. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned before the war that a protracted campaign would drain stockpiles critical to deterring China. A war that cannot be sustained arithmetically cannot be won strategically.

IRAN’S REMAINING WEAPONS: HOW TEHRAN CAN STILL DISRUPT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Economic Damage

The Strait of Hormuz carries 20% of the world’s oil supply. Its near-closure since February 28 has produced the largest energy disruption since the 1970s. Goldman Sachs modeled that oil averaging $110 per barrel for one month raises U.S. inflation to 3.3% and trims GDP growth to 2.1%. Brent crude hit $126 at its peak.

More consequential, and less reported, helium. Iran’s strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility — the world’s largest LNG plant — halted helium production and inflicted damage that will take years to repair.

Qatar supplies a third of the world’s helium. It is an irreplaceable input in semiconductor fabrication, space systems, and medical imaging. Without it, chip production stops. There is no synthetic substitute. This war has threatened the physical supply chain that underlies every advanced technology the U.S. economy and military depend on.

THE WAR HITS HOME: WHY FINANCIAL PAIN AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THREATEN TRUMP’S DRIVE TO TOPPLE IRAN’S REGIME

And here is the fact the administration is not leading with: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent disclosed this past week that Iran’s financial system collapsed in December 2025 — the product of a maximum-pressure campaign launched a full year before Operation Epic Fury.

Iran entered this war already financially broken. It is still fighting. A regime that keeps fighting after its financial system has already collapsed will not be stopped by economic pressure alone.

The Political Failure

There is no defined end state. Secretary of State Rubio declared every military objective is "being effectuated." Those are kinetic metrics. They say nothing about what political condition the United States intends to produce or how it will know when the war is over.

Secretary Hegseth summarized U.S. strategy as "negotiating with bombs." That is Clausewitz inverted. Clausewitz said war is the continuation of politics by other means. Hegseth’s formulation makes the bombs the diplomacy. That is not a strategy. That is a war without a political objective.

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT 'SICK' IRANIAN LEADERS, CONFIRMS ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR ENDING WAR

Tehran has rejected the U.S. 15-point ceasefire plan and issued a five-point counteroffer demanding Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign minister stated his government is not engaged in talks and does not plan on any negotiations. Before the war began, Iranian negotiators told Special Envoy Witkoff directly that "they would not give up diplomatically what we could not win militarily." They meant it.

And here is what President Trump has not internalized: He is misreading the enemy. The Iranian mullahcracy does not operate on transactional logic. It operates on theology.

The IRGC understands this war through the prism of Mahdism — the Twelver Shia doctrine that their messiah, the Hidden Imam, will return at the end of days, and that confrontation with the U.S. and Israel is not merely geopolitical but sacred.

Radical clerics within the IRGC view their hostility toward the U.S. as preparing the conditions for the Mahdi’s return — a religious obligation, not a negotiating position. A regime built on that ideology does not fold because it has been struck hard. It folds when its internal legitimacy collapses or its physical structures are dismantled.

One regional analyst warned that if pushed to the brink, Iran’s leadership would sooner "burn everything" than accept terms it views as surrendering God’s work.

INSIDE IRAN’S MILITARY: MISSILES, MILITIAS AND A FORCE BUILT FOR SURVIVAL

Neither collapse nor dismantlement has happened.

Trump appears to be making strategy up as he goes. And none of his advisors appear willing to tell him he has misread the enemy. That is the most dangerous gap in the room.

The Bottom Line

One month in, the record is clear. Iran's military has been degraded. The regime endures. The Strait remains contested. The ceasefire has been rejected. Thousands more troops are moving toward the theater. Munitions are burning faster than the industrial base can replace them.

Standing on the South Lawn last week, Trump declared that from a military standpoint, Iran is "finished" — while Iran was actively blocking the Strait behind him.

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Meanwhile, lawmakers who sat through a classified House Armed Services Committee briefing came out with a different assessment: "There was no plan, no strategy, no end game shared." That is not a strategy. That is drift with a confident tone.

Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6, assessed this past week that Iran has seized the strategic initiative and the conflict is shifting toward a contest of endurance. Tactical success has not produced strategic clarity.

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Wars do not end when you run out of targets. They end when you define success.

One month in, that definition is still missing.

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Iran's war against the US and Israel is being fueled by North Korean weapons, expert warns

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:13:45 -0400

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s vast missile system is the brainchild of the U.S.-designated state-sponsor of terrorism, the communist North Korea regime, which works hand in glove with Iran, according to one of the world’s leading experts on the Iran-North Korea strategic alliance.

"The missile launched at Diego Garcia was a Musudan. The Iranians bought 19 of these from the North Koreans and took delivery in 2005. They have had this capability since 2005 — and this is no ‘secret weapon,'" Bruce Bechtol, who co-authored with Anthony Celso the groundbreaking book "Rogue Allies: The Strategic Partnership Between Iran and North Korea," told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reported last week that Iran significantly escalated its war effort against the U.S. with its launch of two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia—roughly 2,500 miles from Iran.

TRUMP PROVEN RIGHT ON IRAN'S LONG-RANGE MISSILE CAPABILITY AS REGIME TARGETS US-UK BASE, EXPERTS SAY

Bechtol said, "The most important threat from Iran as the war with the United States and Israel has evolved has been the ballistic missiles, launched not only at U.S. facilities and Israeli cities, but also at neighboring Islamic countries. Thus, it is important to consider this capability and where Iran got it."

He said, "The short-range ballistic missiles that Iran has launched at key U.S. facilities and at neighboring Arab states include a key system – the 'QIAM.' The QIAM was developed and improved with North Korean assistance… North Korea has proliferated a lot to Iran that we are seeing right now in the war."

The joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran’s regime, the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism, according to the U.S. State Department, has entered its fifth week.

Bechtol, who is a professor of political science in the Department of Security Studies at Angelo State University in Texas, noted that, according to the Wisconsin Project, North Korea had constructed a large missile test facility at Emamshahr, a city in the Fars Province in Iran, and a tracking facility at Tabas in South Khorasan province.

He said North Korea aided Iran with crucial technology "for targets farther away from Iran."

"The North Koreans proliferated around 150 No Dong systems to Iran in the late 1990s. The Iranians were apparently very happy with the missiles the North Koreans provided them, and, following the earlier precedent of the Scud C factory, contracted with Pyongyang to build a No Dong facility in Iran."

AFTER THE STRIKES, HOW WOULD THE US SECURE IRAN’S ENRICHED URANIUM?

Bechtol continued, "The Iranians called this ‘new’ missile the Shahab-3. The Shahab-3 is almost an exact copy of the No Dong. Once the Shahab-3 was up and running, the North Koreans moved forward with the Iranians in improving its range and lethality."

He said, "With assistance from the North Koreans, the Iranians were then able to produce (at the No Dong facility) the Emad and the Ghadr. The Emad has a range of 1,750 kilometers (approx 1,087 miles) and the Ghadr has a range of 1,950 kilometers (approximately 1,212 miles.) The Iranians have used these two systems to target not only Israel, but their Arab neighbors (including U.S. bases located in these countries) throughout the ongoing first stages of this conflict."

Bechtol said the North Koreans spawned an Iranian missile warhead that weighs a ton and a half to two tons on the powerful Khorramshahr-4. "There is another system capable of hitting Israel that has been even more lethal than any of the systems described thus far. This system is called the ‘Khorramshahr,’ and the fourth version of this system, appropriately called the ‘Khorramshahr-4,’ has been proven to carry a warhead larger than any other in Iran’s missile inventory, armed with what appears to be cluster munitions," he said.

He described the strategic partnership, noting: "North Korea is the seller and Iran is the buyer. North Korea proliferates weapons systems, technology, parts and components, technicians, engineers and specialists and military capabilities (such as the building of underground facilities) to Iran. Iran pays North Korea with cash and oil. Simple as that."

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Bechtol said the only way to stop this is through sanctions enforcement against North Korea. "The sanctions that are needed are already on the books. But the USA and our key allies need to robustly enforce them. We need to go after banks, front companies and cyber entities in order to squeeze the money and contain or destroy the supply chain."

He said, "More emphasis needs to be placed, and more action needs to be taken using the Proliferation Security Initiative — an underused aspect of preventing North Korea's arms from flowing to rogue nations and terrorist groups. If you cut off the supply chain, you cut off the proliferation."

Meet Iran's hardline speaker who threatened to burn US forces — reportedly Tehran's point man for talks

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:03:49 -0400

The man reportedly being floated by the Trump administration as a possible interlocutor with Iran is also one of the regime’s most hardline figures — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The longtime Revolutionary Guards commander is widely described by experts as a loyal "yes man," with a record of threats against the United States and deep ties to the system’s inner circle.

That contradiction underscores the central question facing U.S. policymakers: Even if Washington is speaking to the "right people," as President Donald Trump has claimed, can someone like Ghalibaf actually deliver?

"Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’" said Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies. He added, "If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders."

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Regime Insider

Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment.

He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the IRGC air force.

"He even completed flight training abroad, which was not unusual at the time, with France reportedly assisting at one stage. Until recently, he was still conducting training flights in France," said Sabti.

He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, alongside Qassem Soleimani.

After transitioning into politics, Ghalibaf attempted to run for president multiple times but failed. He instead built his career through loyalty to the system, serving as Tehran’s mayor for more than a decade before becoming speaker of parliament in 2020.

"Ghalibaf went on to serve in senior national roles and is now speaker of parliament. He has consistently aligned himself with the supreme leader and follows directives rather than setting his own independent positions," Sabti said.

"His name has also been linked to multiple corruption allegations, including misuse of oil revenues and sanctions evasion networks involving his family. His sons have reportedly been involved and are under sanctions," Sabti said, adding, "There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and making luxury purchases, including widely circulated images of them arriving with numerous high-end Gucci suitcases."

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Limited Authority

Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect a hardening tone inside Iran’s leadership.

He has rejected ceasefire terms, declaring Iran would continue fighting "until the enemy truly regrets its aggression."

He has also warned that attacks on Iranian infrastructure would trigger retaliation across the region, including against energy targets.

At the same time, he has publicly denied any negotiations with the United States, calling reports of talks "fake news" and accusing Washington of manipulating markets.

In remarks aired on Iranian television on Jan. 12, 2026, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran. "Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces," he said, adding that American troops would be "burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders."

In the same remarks, broadcast and translated by MEMRI, he described the U.S. president as "delusional and arrogant," and framed Iran’s ideology as a growing global movement.

More recently, he escalated further. He warned that "the blood of American soldiers is the personal responsibility of Trump," and vowed Iran would "settle accounts with the Americans and Israelis," adding that "Trump and Netanyahu crossed our red lines and will pay the price."

He has also threatened retaliation against regional energy infrastructure, signaling a willingness to expand the conflict beyond direct military confrontation.

Not the Decision-Maker

"He’s considered relatively moderate in the current Iranian context, but he’s not the one calling the shots. He’s not the leader himself," Danny Citrinowicz, Middle East, national security and intelligence expert, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, adding that Ghalibaf may serve as a channel to Iran’s leadership, but not as the ultimate authority.

"If you want to speak to someone in Iran, he’s probably the point of contact," he said. "But he’s not deciding anything. Even if he wants to do something, he has to get approval from the IRGC and the supreme leadership."

Sabti said, "Some point to periods during Rouhani’s presidency when he appeared to align with Rouhani and describe him as somewhat moderate, but that is misleading."

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A System That Makes Deals Harder

Analysts say the bigger issue is not Ghalibaf himself, but the system he operates within.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said: "Those who see the ascendance of someone like Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, as extending power outside his traditional civilian role have missed how personality, not profession, has been the driving force in Iranian politics for decades. Those who focus on IRGC backgrounds in the Supreme National Security Council may also overlook that recent secretaries — Shamkhani, Larijani and Ahmadian — all had IRGC backgrounds."

"The system today is more radicalized and decentralized," Citrinowicz agreed. "It’s not one person. It’s multiple actors you need to coordinate with, which makes it much harder to negotiate."

"I’m not saying it’s impossible, because this is still the Middle East, but it will be very difficult to reach an agreement with them, let alone one that reflects the same demands the U.S. was making before the war. There is no way they are going to agree to that," he added.

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Citrinowicz said the regime sees themselves as prevailing. "From Iran’s perspective, they are winning, not losing. They are using their strategic capabilities and effectively threatening a choke point in the global economy, namely the Strait of Hormuz. That only reinforces the radicalization taking place inside the regime. Under those conditions, they will be the ones making demands of Trump, not the other way around."

Even if talks were to take place, he said, Ghalibaf would not be able to commit Iran without broader approval.

Who actually runs Iran right now? The key power players as Trump claims talks to 'top' official

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:08:26 -0400

"Nobody knows who to talk to," President Donald Trump said Tuesday at the White House, describing what he portrayed as both chaos and opportunity inside Iran’s leadership. "But we're actually talking to the right people, and they want to make a deal so badly."

His remarks come as the U.S. claims it is engaged in talks with a "top" Iranian figure, even as Tehran publicly denies negotiations are taking place.

The question now is not just whether talks are happening, but whether anyone in Tehran has the authority to deliver. With U.S.-Israel strikes on senior Iranian leadership and growing internal fractures, Iran appears to be operating less like a centralized theocracy and more like a wartime system run by overlapping power centers, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at its core.

Here’s who matters now.

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The IRGC: The real power behind the state

Across intelligence assessments and recent reporting, one conclusion is consistent: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has emerged as the dominant force in Iran’s political system.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Washington, D.C., think tank, said the current moment is accelerating a long-standing trend.

"No doubt both the 12-Day war and this current conflict have trimmed the commanding heights of the Islamic Republic's political and military leadership," he said. "But it has also expedited the trend lines inherent in Iranian politics, which is the dominance of the security forces and the ascendance of the IRGC."

"Yes, there is more IRGC control over the state than ever before, but the state is weaker than ever before and more of a national security rump state than ever before," he said.

"It shouldn't particularly preoccupy Washington, who is and isn't offering negotiations," Ben Taleblu added. "The preeminent preoccupation of Washington has to be working toward a military win at a political win, and that does not come by working with the IRGC, but actually beating them on the battlefield and supporting the forces most arrayed against them in Iran, which are the Iranian people."

The command room: Supreme National Security Council

If the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the power in Iran, the Supreme National Security Council appears to be the mechanism through which that power is exercised.

The Supreme National Security Council is Iran’s top forum for coordinating military and foreign policy, bringing together senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and government officials under the authority of the supreme leader. It was established after the 1979 revolution and has played a central role in managing major crises, from nuclear negotiations to wartime operations.

Iran appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, as secretary of the council, reinforcing its central role in coordinating military and political decisions, Reuters reported Tuesday.

A Middle Eastern official source with knowledge of the system described the structure.

"Right now, the power is in the hands of the IRGC," the source said. "The Supreme National Security Council makes the decisions, of course, with the backing of the majority of IRGC commanders."

Mojtaba Khamenei: The supreme leader in name

Formally, Iran’s system centers on Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. But his actual grip on power remains uncertain.

Khamenei inherited the position’s sweeping authority following his father’s death, but "lacks the automatic authority enjoyed by his father," the Middle Eastern official said.

Moreover, he has not appeared publicly since taking power and only has issued written statements, raising questions about both his health and his ability to govern, after reportedly being injured in the initial Feb. 28 U.S.–Israeli strikes that killed his father and other senior Iranian leaders.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, suggested his role may currently be limited: "For the time being, since Mojtaba has been injured, it seems he's a hologram and not holding power. However, if Mojtaba recovers, he will be involved in ruling Iran. He is not just a figurehead. But anyhow, for the time being, the control of Iran is in the hands of the revolutionary guards."

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Ghalibaf: The man at the center of Trump’s claim

Trump’s statement that he is speaking to a "top person" has focused attention on one name in particular: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The White House is quietly exploring Ghalibaf as a potential interlocutor and even a possible future leader, Axios reported.

A former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and current parliament speaker, Ghalibaf represents a hybrid figure inside the system, bridging military credentials and political authority.

He was one of the key security figures involved in the crackdown on student protests in July 1999 and has run for president four times since 2005.

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Ghalibaf is expected to meet U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the capital of Pakistan as early as the end of the week.

Ben Taleblu said: "Those who see the ascendants of someone like Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, having extended power outside his traditional civilian rule, have missed the decades of how personality, not profession, has been the driving force in Iranian politics for the past few decades. I would also say those who worry about the IRGC background of the Supreme National Security Council are all that in Iran today, may have missed the fact that the past few Supreme National Security Council Secretaries, Shamkhani, Larijani, Ahmadian, all also had IRGC backgrounds."

At the same time, Ghalibaf has publicly denied engaging in talks with the United States, and no direct confirmation of negotiations has been provided by either side.

Araghchi: The diplomat carrying messages

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi remains one of the most visible figures internationally.

If talks were to take place, Araghchi likely would be part of the Iranian delegation alongside Ghalibaf, Reuters reported.

But analysts caution that his role is limited. He may act as a channel for communication, but does not set policy independently.

Strategic decisions, particularly on war and negotiations, are still shaped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the broader security establishment.

The wider power circle: generals, clerics and enforcers

Beyond the headline figures, a broader group of officials who continue to shape Iran’s direction can be identified.

These include Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi, Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, naval commander Alireza Tangsiri, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior clerical and political figures such as Saeed Jalili and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.

Each represents a different pillar of the system: military power, regional proxy operations, control of strategic waterways, internal repression and religious legitimacy.

Together, they form what analysts describe as a fragmented but resilient governing network.

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Despite internal divisions, Iran’s leadership remains united on one core objective: survival of the regime.

Kuperwasser described the split: "There are the more pragmatic elites, like Araghchi, Rouhani, and Zarif. There are also the hardliners who have usually held the upper hand … But they are united in one issue — that the regime should survive and stay in power."

Iran’s U.N. mission did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Families of Iran's elite live lavishly abroad while ordinary citizens suffer at home

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:00:51 -0400

For decades, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and ruling clerical elite have relied on a system critics say is as strategic as it is cynical: Denounce the West in public, while quietly securing a future there for their own families.

"The Islamic regime in Iran is corrupt to its core," Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "While regime clerics and IRGC commanders violently Islamize Iranian society and export anti-Americanism globally, their sons and daughters live lavish lifestyles on blood money in Western capitals."

Iranian journalist Banafsheh Zand still remembers the girl from her school, the kind of memory that only becomes meaningful years later, when a familiar face reappears in a completely different context.

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They sat together in classrooms at Tehran’s elite Iranzamin School, an institution designed for the children of diplomats and Iran’s upper class, where students spoke multiple languages and moved easily between cultures. The girl was quiet and studious, already shaped in part by years spent in the United States, where she had lived as a child and picked up fluent English that would later define her public role.

Years later, Zand would see her again, not across a desk or in a school hallway but on television screens around the world. Her former classmate had become the voice of the 1979 U.S. embassy hostage crisis.

The girl was Masoumeh Ebtekar, the English-speaking spokesperson for the extremists who held 52 Americans hostages for 444 days, and who would go on to defend the takeover of the U.S. embassy and later describe it as "the best move" for the revolution.

And yet, decades later, the story did not end in Tehran. It continued, quietly and almost predictably, in California.

A life far from the revolution

Ebtekar son, Eissa Hashemi, was living in the United States, pursuing graduate studies and eventually building a career in academia in Los Angeles, Zand exposed on her substack "Iran So Far Away" — a trajectory that stands in stark contrast to the ideology his mother helped articulate to the world.

For Zand, this is not an anecdote or an isolated irony but a window into how the system itself functions.

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"They take the money from corruption inside the country and use it to live a better life elsewhere," she said. "It’s not a few cases. It’s how they operate."

What Zand is describing is widely referred to inside Iran as the "aghazadeh" phenomenon, a term used for the children of the Iranian regime’s elite who live lives of privilege abroad while their families enforce ideological restrictions at home, and who have come to symbolize for many Iranians the gap between the regime’s rhetoric and its reality.

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A three-tier network inside the West

Exiled Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, now based in Canada, argues that this phenomenon is structured.

"When we talk about the presence of agents of the Islamic Republic, especially the IRGC, here in Canada, we should understand this is not random," Ghadimi told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "It operates in layers."

The system functions as a three-tiered structure that allows regime-linked individuals to embed themselves across Western societies, according to Ghadimi, beginning with those who arrive as students and academics, often presenting themselves as ordinary immigrants while maintaining ties to the regime or its security apparatus.

"They come as students or professors," he said, "but many have prior connections to the IRGC, and part of their role is to normalize the Islamic Republic in universities and gather information on activists."

That category includes individuals identified in recent reporting across U.S. campuses, such as Leila Khatami, daughter of former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami at Union College in New York, Zeinab Hajjarian, the daughter of Saeed Hajjarian, a founder of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, according to a March 18 New York Post report.

The second layer, Ghadimi explained, is financial, consisting of former insiders and trusted affiliates who enter Western countries as investors or business figures, often carrying significant capital that raises questions about its origin.

"In Iran, a monthly salary might be $100 or $200, while an apartment costs $100,000," he said. "So when someone arrives with millions, they are not an ordinary individual."

These individuals, he said, often serve as conduits for moving money out of Iran, operating under the cover of private enterprise while maintaining ties to the system that enabled their wealth. "They change their professional status and enter as private-sector investors," he said. "But they are trusted by the system."

The third layer involves individuals who receive explicit approval from the regime to move large sums abroad, a process that, according to Ghadimi, requires a "green light" from the security apparatus and often comes with expectations in return. "In order to move that level of money, you need permission," he said, "and in return, they help finance networks connected to the regime."

One of the most prominent examples is Mahmoud Reza Khavari, the former chairman of Bank Melli Iran, who fled the country in 2011 after the bank was implicated in a roughly $2.6 billion embezzlement scandal, one of the largest corruption cases in Iran’s history.

Khavari later settled in Canada, where public reporting shows that he and his family acquired millions of dollars in real estate, including properties in Toronto, where he remains more than a decade later.

For Zand, the pattern is unmistakable. "It’s a mafia structure," she said.

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A global footprint: from Atlanta to London

As previously reported by ӣ��Ƶ Digital, Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of senior Iranian political figure Ali Larijani and a conservative force within Iran’s theocracy, who was killed in an Israeli strike this week, held a position at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta before leaving earlier this year following public pressure.

At the same time, a February 2026 report by The Guardian highlighted how relatives of Iranian elites have built lives not only in the United States but also in Britain and Canada, including members of the Larijani family and relatives of other senior officials, even as the regime continues to position itself in opposition to the West.

Thousands of relatives of Iranian officials were believed to be living across Western countries, IranWire reported in 2022, though precise figures remain difficult to verify independently, underscoring both the scale of the phenomenon and the opacity of the system behind it.

"The problem is even more visible in Europe," Aarabi said, "Governments, not least the U.K., have turned a blind eye."

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Power, assets and the next generation

Mojtaba Khamenei, who is slated as the country’s new supreme leader, has been linked to a network of overseas assets, including high-value real estate in Europe.

A March 2026 investigation by The Times of London, identified two luxury apartments in London’s Kensington neighborhood, acquired in 2014 and 2016 through intermediaries, that sit directly adjacent to the Israeli Embassy compound.

The findings are part of a broader probe into Khamenei’s alleged overseas holdings, with a Bloomberg investigation estimating a portfolio spanning multiple countries and totaling roughly $138 million in assets across Europe and the Gulf, pending verification of full ownership structures.

"He has been operating behind the scenes, managing a large part of the Revolutionary Guard’s security and economic cartel," Ghadimi said. "His hands are deeply stained with corruption and crimes, and the same Revolutionary Guard is now the main force backing his rise."

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A system Iranians themselves cannot escape

Inside Iran, the contrast with everyday life is stark. Women are arrested for violating dress codes, protesters are jailed, and economic hardship has deepened across much of the population. Outside Iran, the children of the elite live differently.

"They’re telling people how to live, what to wear, what to believe," Zand said. "But their own families don’t live like that."

For her, the issue is not only hypocrisy, but strategy. "It’s also about influence," she said. "They integrate into societies, they build networks, they learn how the West works."

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Aarabi believes Western governments have failed to respond accordingly. "The Islamic regime’s oligarchs should be treated no differently from Putin’s oligarchs," he said. "The West should identify, sanction and deport these individuals."

Iran’s new supreme leader linked to properties with ‘line of sight’ into Israeli UK Embassy

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:00:19 -0400

Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy in London, a location that security experts said could provide "permanent surveillance," according to multiple reports.

The multimillion-dollar Kensington properties sit next to the high-profile embassy compound and were identified by UK media, drawing on findings from a yearlong probe into Khamenei’s potential overseas assets.

The Times of London reported on March 5 that the one building "sits next to the Israeli Embassy on Palace Green," placing the residences in exceptional proximity to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic sites.

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The revelations stem from a Bloomberg investigation that alleged that the Khamenei portfolio could span multiple countries and include high-value real estate in London, totaling around $138M as well as assets in Europe and the Gulf.

The two London apartments were reportedly acquired in 2014 and 2016 via intermediaries and occupy upper floors of the building, offering a direct vantage point toward the rear of the Israeli embassy compound, UK media reported.

A terrorism specialist quoted in reports said the positioning effectively means "Iran owns the view into the back of the Israeli Embassy from less than 50 meters away," describing the situation as a potential "serious security breach."

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Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at the Iranian dissident satellite channel Iran International, also said the two apartments had "a direct line of sight, held through Mojtaba Khamenei. That's not a property portfolio — it's a permanent surveillance platform."

"This is a serious security breach," he added.

Further details from Bloomberg’s investigation indicated that a businessman acted as a financial conduit, buying up high-end properties on Khamenei’s behalf and channeling funds through a network of investments.

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The investigation also found that 11 mansions on London's "Billionaire’s Row" were purchased using an Isle of Man shell company.

The Financial Times has also similarly reported on links between Khamenei’s associates and luxury assets across Europe.

Khamenei, 56, has been viewed as a powerful figure within Iran’s ruling establishment, ultimately becoming the leading successor to his father, who was killed in a Tehran compound strike on Feb. 28.

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So far, since he was selected by Iran's Assembly of Experts, he has not been seen in public.

Bloody NYC Khamenei vigil reveals anti-US protest network linked to Iran

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:26:54 -0400

A small group of New Yorkers lined candles beneath a portrait of Iran’s late leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at a recent "vigil" in Manhattan's Washington Square Park, and within minutes, a confrontation turned violent, then viral.

As Jewish rapper Rami Even-Esh approached the March 6 vigil, he noticed something was missing in the pro-regime gathering, which drew only a few dozen people from five far-left groups, including the socialist "Workers World Party."

"I looked around for images of the regime’s victims," Even-Esh told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, referring to tens of thousands of protesters the Iranian regime reportedly killed earlier this year. "I looked for Iranians who supported the regime, and I didn’t see any."

Slowly, Even-Esh, who performs under the moniker "Kosha Dillz," picked up the Khamenei photo, video footage shows, prompting several vigil organizers to quickly tackle him, punch him in the head and kick him as he fell to the ground. He emerged bloodied, and New York Police Department officers arrested both him and one of his assailants.

Video of the confrontation quickly spread online, generating widespread attention, with pro-regime groups framing the event far beyond the park as a symbol of widespread "resistance" to the war in Iran. The incident also offered a telling glimpse into a wider influence campaign now drawing scrutiny.

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A new report by the Network Contagion Research Institute, a think tank based in Princeton, New Jersey, finds that the vigil — along with a follow-up "Al-Quds Day" protest a week later on March 13 — was organized, promoted and amplified by a well-connected network of far-left U.S. activist groups with documented ties to Iranian state media.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump warned that Iran is pursuing an aggressive disinformation campaign, accusing the regime of using artificial intelligence and coordinated narratives to shape perception beyond traditional battlefields.

Drawing on leaked internal records, dating from 2019 to 2022, from Iran’s state-owned Press TV propaganda network, researchers identified repeated direct contact between Press TV officials and organizers of recent pro-regime protests, as well as patterns of coordination and amplification that helped transform small local gatherings into widely circulated global flashpoints.

The report identifies a structured ecosystem linking U.S. activist groups, intermediary media platforms and Iranian state outlets to a campaign of malign foreign influence, which is defined by the Directorate of National Intelligence as "subversive, undeclared, coercive, or criminal activities by foreign governments, non-state actors or their proxies to affect another nation’s popular or political attitudes, perceptions or behaviors to advance their interests."

Organizers tied to the New York vigil also coordinated follow-up protests for Al-Quds Day, the Arabic name for "Jerusalem Day," promoted through the same network of social media accounts, organizations and leadership.

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ӣ��Ƶ Digital has identified at least 75 organizations that have protested in support of Iran’s regime since the conflict began, including 50 that identify as far-left, Marxist, socialist or communist groups, and 22 that are Muslim organizations aligned with forms of political Islam, or Islamism. The remaining organizations fall into overlapping ideological categories.

Many of these groups are connected through a broader activist network linked to American-born tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who is based in Shanghai. Lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee and House Oversight Committee have launched investigations probing whether Singham and the organizations he funds should register as foreign agents, promoting the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital has reached out to Singham and the groups organizing the pro-regime protests.

Organizations associated with Singham's network include the People’s Forum, the ANSWER Coalition, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, CodePink Women for Peace and the Palestinian Youth Movement, and while they didn't organize the Khamenei vigil, they participated in Al-Quds Day protests.

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The scene at the vigil reflected the mix of political messaging and symbolism that has defined "intersectional" activism of far-left politics in recent years. Organizers draped the table with Khamenei’s image with Palestinian checkered keffiyeh scarves and stocked it with pamphlets framing global conflicts — from Gaza to Haiti and apartheid South Africa — as part of a shared "anti-imperialist" struggle. A copy of the Quran sat alongside revolutionary communist literature, blending the kind of ideological and theological messaging that defines the so-called "red-green" alliance of socialists, represented by red, and Muslim theocrats, represented by the color of green for Islam.

Organizers and affiliated groups include a coalition of activist organizations connected to the "United National Antiwar Coalition," the Workers World Party, the "Bronx Anti-War Coalition" and the ANSWER Coalition, networks of socialists and communists who have organized protests across the United States on foreign policy and domestic issues.

The report’s strongest evidence centers on a history of direct contact between Iranian state media and activists from the groups.

The leaked internal records from Press TV, which is sanctioned by the U.S. government, showed hundreds of communications with the small group of organizers tied to the recent protests, including 83 calls to one senior figure. Researchers found that outreach far exceeded contact with other individuals based in the U.S., suggesting sustained engagement rather than routine media interaction.

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The analysis also identified a pattern in which that outreach appeared to happen before protests from 2019 to 2022. According to the report, spikes in contact from Press TV personnel often occurred in the weeks leading up to increased protest activity in the United States, indicating a level of synchronization that researchers say is unlikely to be coincidental.

The report also documents a broader amplification loop: activists appear on Iranian state broadcasts, sharing and reposting state media content and promoting protest activity later picked up by outlets aligned with Iran’s messaging ecosystem.

A separate media platform, "Vox Ummah," is identified as an intermediary linking U.S.-based activists with Iran-aligned narratives in the "ummah," an Arabic term for the global community of Muslims, promoting the vigil and Al-Quds protests while republishing content from Iranian state outlets.

The report stops short of asserting direct operational coordination, but it concludes that the overlap of communication and messaging reflects a "repeatable influence pipeline" capable of turning local protest activity into widely distributed political narratives of malign foreign influence.

"A strain of moral confusion has taken hold where a growing number of people in our communities protest America while excusing regimes that jail, torture and silence their own people," Adam Sohn, co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "That’s not justice. It’s a psychological contagion causing these people to lose sight of what evil actually looks like."

The report also notes that messaging tied to the vigil, such as references to Khamenei’s "martyrdom," opposition to U.S. and Israeli policy, and alignment with the "Axis of Resistance," a term invented to describe opposition to U.S. foreign policy, mirrors themes promoted by Iranian state media following Khamenei's death.

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On the edge of the Khamenei vigil, Iranian American Reza Ebrahimi, founder of a group called Lion Sun NY, watched the scene unfold with Even-Esh emerging bloodied and handcuffed.

Ebrahimi told ӣ��Ƶ Digital he is immune to pro-regime disinformation and propaganda. He was emboldened to see that Even-Esh also didn't succumb to the intimidation.

He later told him, "I’m proud of you that you’re supporting us."

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Azziana Solomon contributed to this report.

Mojtaba Khamenei regime executes champion wrestler as Iran intensifies brutal crackdown during war

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:58:21 -0400

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s judiciary on Thursday ignored a U.S. State Department warning along with pleas from elite Iranian-American wrestlers to not execute 19-year-old champion wrestler Saleh Mohammadi for protesting against the Khamenei regime.

Reports say Mohammadi was killed in a public hanging seen as a barbaric move by the Iranian regime to snuff out the ongoing movement seeking to topple it, according to Iranian American human rights activists and dissidents.

Nima Far, a human rights activist and Iranian combat athlete who is an expert on elite Iranian wrestling, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, "His execution was a blatant political murder, part of the Islamic Republic’s pattern of targeting athletes to crush dissent and terrorize society, as seen with Navid Afkari and others executed despite international outcry."

STATE DEPARTMENT DEMANDS IRAN HALT EXECUTION OF 19-YEAR-OLD WRESTLING STAR

He said, "The IOC [International Olympic Committee] and UWW [United World Wrestling] should have intervened forcefully with public ultimatums, threatening immediate suspension of Iran’s NOC [National Olympic Committee] and federations if the killing proceeded rather than relying on ineffective quiet diplomacy, given their own commitments to protect athletes from politically motivated harm." Both organizations did put out statements after being asked for response from ӣ��Ƶ Digital upon Mohammadi's death sentence.

Far called on the wrestling authorities to take action, stating, "Iran must be banned from international competitions until it halts executions of protesters and athletes, releases those jailed in sham trials, and ends retaliation against competitors who speak out or defect."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital sent new press queries to the IOC and UWW.

Reactions to his death came flooding in from Iranian commentators.

Alizreza Nader, an expert on Iran and the human rights situation in the country, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, "I feel very bad for him and his family. There should be a boycott of the regime when it comes to international sport. I do worry about individual athletes who will be impacted by this, as athletes in Iran are enduring very harsh conditions, including some reported as being virtual hostages by the regime. But there must be a heavy price for the regime for executing young people like this. There must be a deterrent."

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Iranian American activist Masih Alinejad wrote on X: "Today, in Iran, in the middle of a war, the regime executed a 19-year-old national wrestling champion for the crime of joining January protests. After signaling to the world, including President @realDonaldTrump, that they would halt executions of protesters, the regime has done the exact opposite."

She added, "Three young protesters, Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi, were hanged in Qom after a sham trial. Reports indicate torture. Forced confessions. No access to chosen lawyers. Closed-door proceedings. No right to appeal. I call on @GlobalAthleteHQ to stand with Iranian athletes who are being silenced, imprisoned, and executed simply for raising their voices. This is not just about sports. This is about human dignity."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reported in late January that the official X account for the State Department in Farsi wrote, "The United States is deeply concerned by reports that 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi is facing imminent execution. The regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran is massacring young people and destroying Iran’s future. We call on the Iranian regime to halt the execution of Saleh Mohammadi and all those sentenced to death for exercising their fundamental rights. #SalehMohammadi #StopExecutionsInIran #HumanRights #IranProtest."

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Elite Iranian American wrestlers told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in February that Iran’s regime must cease the executions of athletes. Sardar Pashaei, who won a Greco-Roman wrestling world championship title for Iran and coached the country’s elite Greco-Roman team, along with Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston, the first American female wrestler to win a medal in world championship competition in 1989, urged the regime not to implement the targeted killing of athletes.

Pashaei told Fox Digital on Thursday that "My heart is broken for this young wrestler. Anyone who still shows sympathy for the Islamic Republic should understand — this is only a small glimpse of its brutality."

He added, "Before the internet was shut down, I spoke with one of Iran’s national wrestling team coaches. He warned me that Saleh’s case was critical. We were both deeply worried. I did everything I could — speaking to the media, raising awareness — but I could not save him. This regime is built on executions, fear, and hatred. It does not change. The International Olympic Committee and global sports bodies failed."

Iran International reported that Iran’s regime hanged Mohammadi and two additional Iranian men, Mehdi Ghasemiand Saeed Davoudi,"after being accused of killing two police officers during nationwide protests earlier this year, the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported."

The three men allegedly attacked "two police officers with knives and swords during protests on January 8 in the holy city of Qom."

The regime claimed that the men acted on behalf of Israel and the United States. Iran International noted this is "a frequent claim used by the Islamic Republic against protesters and dissidents."

Mohammadi won a bronze medal in September 2024, for Iran’s national freestyle wrestling at the Saytiyev International Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

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The Hengaw organization for human rights posted wrestling footage of Mohammadi. Hengaw wrote on X: "Footage shows Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old athlete and member of Iran’s national wrestling team, who was secretly executed in the early hours of Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Qom Central Prison on charges of ‘enmity against God’ (moharebeh). Mohammadi had previously shared this video on his Instagram page, documenting his athletic journey and efforts toward success."

A State Department spokesperson told ӣ��Ƶ Digital on background, "The Iranian regime murdered a 19-year-old wrestling champion by public hanging. This latest barbaric act is more evidence of why the regime can never be allowed the advanced capabilities that we are destroying, and further proves that this regime is utterly unworthy of governing the Iranian people."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Iran’s U.N. Mission in New York for comment.

Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei 'misfunctioning,' not controlling regime: sources

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:28:12 -0400

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is little more than an "empty entity" who is not at the helm of the regime, according to Israeli national security sources.

The son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a targeted Israeli strike on Feb. 28, is also linked to what officials describe as a "misfunctioning" regime.

"The new leader is an empty entity," Kobi Michael, a defense analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

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"Mojtaba Khamenei does not appear in public, but we also have reliable indications that he does not control or lead the regime or what has been left of the regime.

"The current Iranian leadership is broken, confused and is almost misfunctioning."

Mojtaba reportedly escaped death by minutes when his father was killed Feb. 28, leaving the compound for a walk shortly before an Israeli missile strike, according to leaked audio accessed by The Telegraph.

The audio, reportedly from a March 12 meeting, revealed details about the strikes that also took out several members of the Khamenei family.

Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for Khamenei’s office, is supposedly heard in the audio telling senior leaders that Mojtaba sustained "a minor injury to his leg."

Since being named supreme leader, Mojtaba has not made one public appearance. Instead, a message by him was read on Iranian state TV, warning of continued strikes and urging Gulf nations to shut down U.S. bases.

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Other reports claimed Mojtaba was in critical condition or even in a coma, though Iranian officials have insisted that the new supreme leader is in good health.

Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge Wednesday after the killing of senior security official Ali Larijani in an Israeli strike.

"Such acts of terror only reflect the enemies’ hostility and will strengthen the resolve of the Islamic nation. Undoubtedly, justice will be served," the statement said.

Larijani, one of Iran’s top security figures, was killed after Israeli intelligence reportedly located him and other officials on the outskirts of Tehran.

Other senior figures have also been killed in recent strikes, including Basij militia leader Gholamreza Soleimani, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"This is not a new phase, but a continuing effort and a very successful and impressive one and a crucial component of the strategy meant to weaken the Iranian regime," Michael said of the continued strikes at regime figures.

"This is to the degree that it will not be able to reconstitute itself and/or to become again a severe threat and destabilizing player in the broader Middle East."

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After the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes, President Donald Trump told the Iranian people that their "moment of freedom" was at hand.

"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take," Trump said, suggesting the U.S. would help bring down the Iranian regime.

"At the very same time, by weakening the regime and paralyzing its capacities generally speaking and its domestic control specifically, the U.S. and Israel are facilitating the required conditions for the Iranian people to topple the regime," Michael added.

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"This is the ultimate victory in their eyes, and the route to this destination is that they are trying to increase any damage wherever they can."

US warns Iraq must act against Iran-backed militia attacks on American assets

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:27:12 -0400

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is facing mounting criticism for his government’s inability to stop pro-Iranian militias and the Islamic Republic of Iran from attacking American, French, Italian and Kurdish military personnel and facilities in Iraq.

On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said that all U.S. citizens in Iraq should leave "immediately," as "Iran-aligned terrorist militias have attacked the International Zone in central Baghdad on multiple occasions."

The announcement came after a missile reportedly struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad early Saturday.

Speaking on background, a State Department spokesperson told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, "The United States strongly condemns attacks by Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias against U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities, civilian targets and energy infrastructure in Iraq, particularly in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region."

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The statement added, "As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi government must take all possible measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States or the region. Doing so is in Iraq’s interest," the spokesperson noted, "We retain a range of options to protect our interests. We do not preview sanctions or sanction actions."

A Kurdish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq "are paid and armed by the Iraqi government. They are on the Iraqi payroll. This is not the first time they have fired on the U.S., the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] and the energy sector. These PMF have brazenly attacked U.S. military bases."

According to the official, "Many of these leaders [from the PMF] are part of al-Sudani’s government and his very coalition."

In a statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital on Sunday, an official for Iraq’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., flatly denied the allegations against al-Sudani. "We would like to unequivocally confirm that the allegations claiming the Prime Minister granted a ‘green light’ to any armed group to target U.S. or Western interests are completely false. The Iraqi government has repeatedly emphasized its firm rejection of any attacks on diplomatic missions or foreign interests."

The representative added, "The Prime Minister has also issued several statements condemning such acts, describing them as terrorist activities, and has directed the relevant authorities to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice."

Al-Sudani raised eyebrows last week when he congratulated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s selection of its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated second Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. "We express our confidence in the ability of the new leadership in the Islamic Republic of Iran to manage this sensitive stage, and continue to strengthen the unity of the Iranian people in facing the current challenges," al-Sudani reportedly said.

When asked about the congratulatory statement to Khamenei, the Iraqi Embassy official said, "This action falls within the scope of standard diplomatic practices carried out by many countries, including several Gulf states. Iraq maintains diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, including Iran, while simultaneously ensuring balanced relations with all its regional and international partners."

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The intensified attacks on the international anti-jihadi coalition in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region on Friday resulted in the death of a French soldier and injuries to six other people. According to France 24, the commanding officer, Colonel Francois-Xavier de la Chesnais, said the French soldier, Arnaud Frion, was murdered by an Iranian-designed Shahed lethal drone.

The Iraqi Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported on Saturday that the "Kurdistan Region was targeted with seven explosive-laden drones early Saturday as Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq continue to target the U.S. consulate in Erbil and other military and civilian sites in the Region." Rudaw said since the start of U.S. Operation Epic Fury the Kurdistan area has been targeted with over 300 drone and missile attacks, resulting in the killing of seven people and 35 injured.

The Kurdish official complained that al-Sudani’s "government is not serious about taking on militias because the militias are part of the government." However, the official praised the U.S. "The Americans are going after them aggressively over the last week with attacks on their [PMF] positions."

According to a Long War Journal report, "Airstrikes, likely conducted by the U.S. as part of the U.S.-Israeli operation against the Islamic Republic, have continued targeting Iran-backed Iraqi militias." Neither the U.S. nor Israel have commented on reports that they are striking the PMF.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital secured information in early March from the Israeli Defense Forces that drones have been fired at Israel from Iraqi territory since the start of the war.

The PMF told the Iraqi News Agency that American military forces have conducted 32 airstrikes against PMF headquarters since February 28.

The Kurdish official urged the Trump administration to "demand that Iraq’s government stop paying and arming the PMF and target their banking system that finances the PMF." The official continued, "We have shared information with the Iraqis and the Americans, who have in turn shared information with the Iraqi government." On the terrorist activities of the PMF the official said, "The al-Sudani government has been unwilling to confront them."

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The official bemoaned that the al-Sudani government initiated a "handful of arrests last year, and they were released on bail and were able to flee to Iran." The Kurdish official said the KRG "provided the information to the Iraqi government about the perpetrators" who fled to the Islamic Republic.

An Iraqi official dismissed the reports on PMF terrorists, stating," I have not heard of such a thing. I guess that's not true."

The Kurdish official cited two PMF groups as the most bellicose toward the U.S.: Asaib Ahl al Haq (League of the Righteous) and Kataib Hezbollah. The Trump administration sanctioned Asaib Ahl al Haq in March 2024. The State Department said Asaib Ahl al Haq "and its leaders are violent proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran" and the group "is extensively funded and trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force."

The U.S. government sanctioned Kataib Hezbollah in 2023. The Kurdish official also charged the al-Sudani’s government with imposing an embargo on imported goods to Iraqi Kurdistan as a way "to strip away our autonomy and everything we can built over 30 years." The autonomous Kurdish government is widely considered a robust pro-American ally.

The Iraqi official denied the embargo, stating, "The federal government does not pursue a policy of ‘embargo’ against the Kurdistan Region. The current measures aim to unify the legal, customs, and trade framework across all Iraqi borders in line with the federal constitution.

"No country can afford contradictory internal trade and customs regimes, as this risks harming the national economy as a whole. Our objective is a unified, fair economic framework that protects state revenues while respecting the region’s specificities, and we believe this is best achieved through dialogue and cooperation."

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Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that "One could even describe the PMF as the Iraqi branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, effectively functioning as an Iraqi Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The PMF operates through a network of militias that frequently attack U.S. forces, foreign interests, and targets in Kurdistan."

He argued for "The dismantling of the mother organization — the PMF itself. As long as the PMF exists, militias operating under its umbrella will continue to attack U.S. forces and regional targets."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reporter Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.

Exiled Iranian crown prince says he’s ready to lead Iran ‘as soon as the Islamic Republic falls’

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:09:36 -0400

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said Saturday he is ready to lead Iran’s transition "as soon as the Islamic Republic falls."

As the war in Iran entered its third week, Pahlavi — the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — said he has been working in recent months to develop a transition plan should the Iranian regime collapse to ensure the country does not experience a disruption in governance.

Pahlavi said in a social media post that "capable individuals" have been identified both inside and outside Iran to lead what he called a "transitional system."

"The transitional system, under my leadership, will be ready to assume governance of the country as soon as the Islamic Republic falls and, in the shortest possible time, establish order, security, freedom and the conditions for Iran’s prosperity and flourishing," he said.

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Pahlavi has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic.

He has in recent years sought to position himself as a unifying opposition figure and has said he would help guide a transition of power from theocracy to democracy in Iran.

In a message addressed to his "compatriots," Pahlavi said his plan for governing the country would fall within the framework of the "Iran Prosperity Project."

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He said many compatriots with valuable experience and expertise have declared "their readiness to participate in the rebuilding of the country and to serve the homeland."

Since joint operations between the U.S. and Israel began, nearly 50 regime figures have been killed, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was elected this week by Iran’s Assembly of Experts as the country’s new supreme leader.

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In an appearance last week on ӣ��Ƶ’ "My View with Lara Trump," Pahlavi said the Iranian people would not accept any outcome moving forward tied to the current regime.

"Only a clean break will ensure that not only we achieve a democratic solution and alternative to this regime, but there will be people who are not in any form or shape directly associated with this regime," he said.

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Pahlavi said the Iranian people must decide their country’s leadership and that "only the ballot box should determine the outcome and who will be responsible for our country in the future."

"I think what we will expect any government, including, of course, the current Trump administration to recognize that indeed the best way to help the Iranian people is to allow them to make that choice freely and to support that choice as a Western democracy, as the leading democracy in the world," he said.

Transactional partners: How 200-year distrust shapes Russia’s response to the Iran conflict

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:50 -0400

In March 2026, as the smoke cleared over Tehran after the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran’s leadership, Russia’s response was strikingly restrained. Despite a 20-year strategic partnership treaty signed with Tehran just last year, Moscow limited its reaction to condemnation and calls for diplomacy.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia had received no request from Iran for military assistance.

"There were no requests from Iran in this case," Peskov told reporters March 5.

For analysts who study the relationship between Moscow and Tehran, the moment felt familiar.

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"The relationship has always been transactional," said Ksenia Svetlova, executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economy and Security (ROPES) and an associate fellow at Chatham House. "Russia does what serves its own interests."

While Iran and Russia have moved closer in recent years — particularly after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — experts say the partnership has never resembled a true alliance. Instead, they say, it reflects a long history of cooperation shaped by convenience, rivalry and shifting geopolitical needs.

The shadow of Turkmenchay

The uneasy relationship between the two powers stretches back nearly two centuries. In 1828, the Treaty of Turkmenchay forced Persia to cede large parts of the Caucasus to the Russian Empire after a military defeat. The treaty remains one of the most painful symbols of foreign domination in Iranian political memory.

In the 20th century, Russia’s relationship with Iran shifted dramatically. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Moscow maintained relatively stable ties with Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

"It actually had good relations with the Shah who visited Moscow after World War II," Svetlova said.

"But Communist Russia was very suspicious of Islamist Iran after the 1979 revolution," said Svetlova.

It was a mutual distrust. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini denounced both Cold War superpowers, calling the United States the "Great Satan" and the Soviet Union the "Lesser Satan."

Even during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, the Soviet Union maintained ties with Tehran while simultaneously supplying weapons to Iraq.

"The Soviet Union was very suspicious of Islamist Iran," Svetlova said. "Even after the revolution, the relationship could not really be considered an alliance."

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The drone marriage

In recent years, however, geopolitical pressures pushed the two countries closer together. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 created new military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.

Though Russia and Iran have not shared a land border since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, they remain "neighbors" via the Caspian Sea. This "blue border" became a vital artery in 2022 when Iran supplied the Shahed-series drones used in Ukraine that Russia has used extensively in attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, a retired Navy SEAL and former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, said the partnership has had direct consequences on the battlefield.

"Sadly, the world is just now getting a taste of Iranian drones. But there's one group that already knows them well, the Christians in Ukraine," Harward said.

"Close to 600 Ukrainian churches have been destroyed by Russian attacks, including from the Iranian Shahed drones."

Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and a former deputy assistant secretary of state, argued that Russia’s continued use of Iranian drones against Ukrainian targets underscores the depth of the military relationship while its calls for restraint in the current conflict highlight a fundamental contradiction.

"If Russia were serious about peace, we would see a ceasefire with Ukraine months ago," she said. "Yet, Putin continues to attack Ukrainian cities, churches and civilians with Iranian drones day after day."

And yet Russia’s dependence on Iranian drones during the early stages of the Ukraine war has also diminished as Moscow built its own production capacity. A report cited by The Washington Post found that Russia has "transitioned from importing Iranian Shahed drones to mass-manufacturing them" under the name Geran-2.

Limits and intelligence

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Russia "should not be involved" in the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran amid reports Russia has provided information that could help Iran identify U.S. military assets in the Middle East. Moscow has not publicly confirmed the claims.

"I believe Russia is providing Iran intelligence to more effectively target Americans, our allies and partners in the CENTCOM region," said Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, a retired Air Force officer who served as assistant vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. "It's absolutely clear Russia is not our friend.

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"They are doing for the Iranians without spending money, spending troops or spending equipment," Svetlova added. "They share knowledge. They supplied the Iranians with a target list, basically, through their satellites — American targets, but also air targets in the Gulf and Iraq."

Harward argued that confronting this growing cooperation requires a broader strategy.

"If we want to break the threat of the increasingly dangerous Russian-Iranian alliance, we need to fully decimate Iran's capabilities to threaten our allies and the United States, and we need to continue to support Ukraine and get Europeans to do their part," he said.

Filipetti remains skeptical of Moscow’s role as a mediator.

"The idea that Russia would call on the U.S. and Israel to cease military operations against the regime in Iran and suggest that we should negotiate is absurd," Filipetti said.

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Although Russia is falling short of helping Iran in a straightforward military way, experts say the cooperation in the world of intelligence has been profound.

Ultimately, Newton argued that Russia’s actions should be viewed through the lens of President Vladimir Putin’s broader geopolitical goals.

"Putin only does what serves Putin, and right now escalating the war in the Middle East and driving up oil prices only serves his interests so he can continue to fund his war machine against Ukraine," he said.

Iran deploys explosive ‘suicide skiffs’ disguised as fishing boats in Strait of Hormuz

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:53:10 -0400

Iran is deploying explosive-laden drone boats disguised as wooden fishing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a defense expert has warned — a move that signals a new phase of hybrid maritime warfare in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

Cameron Chell, CEO of drone technology firm Draganfly, spoke after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that a Marshall Islands–flagged oil tanker was struck March 1 by an Iranian unmanned surface vehicle north of Muscat, Oman.

"UKMTO has received confirmation that the vessel was attacked by an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), and that the crew has been evacuated to shore," UKMTO said in a threat assessment.

Reports also indicated that two additional oil tankers were hit March 11 by remote-controlled explosive boats in the Gulf, as Iran intensified attacks on foreign vessels following the start of the U.S. Operation Epic Fury against the regime on Feb. 28.

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The use of so-called "suicide skiffs" represents a growing asymmetric threat in the narrow, 21-mile-wide Strait, Chell warned, while highlighting the technological capabilities behind these attacks.

"The Iranians probably have use of radio remote control, line of sight, frequency hopping, or encrypted radio communication between the skiffs and the Hormuz shoreline," Chell told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

"These can be jammed and tracked, but when there's 50 of these boats, it's hard to try to find them all along this shoreline or to find a 20-foot wooden fishing boat that is laden with explosives.

"They can have one person controlling a swarm of 10 boats," he said before describing how there "could also be autonomous swarming where they might have 10 boats that can act with a large level of independence, because they're pre-programmed."

"The boats would be used to ram into targets and explode," Chell clarified.

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Chell’s comments followed a March 12 Reuters report stating that six vessels had been attacked in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

Sources said that Iran had also deployed about a dozen mines, complicating efforts to maintain any traffic through the critical waterway.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News Thursday that the U.S. Navy, potentially alongside an international coalition, would escort ships when militarily feasible.

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey also said discussions were underway with European counterparts stressing the global economic stakes tied to the strait. Chell, however, questioned current defensive readiness.

"The drone defense fleets that the U.S. Navy would not have been set up to take these suicide skiffs out," Chell said.

"The U.S. would be using manned aircraft in order to take them out, which are fantastic at taking out a large target, but inefficient in taking out 50 boats at one time that are an average of 25 or 30 feet in size, laden with explosives.

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"Given the Strait's geography, it would require patrolling by many aircraft and would require pervasive surveillance over the area, a rapid response to any activity that's happening," he said.

As Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to keep the Strait closed as leverage against the U.S. and Israel, oil prices continue to surge, with Chell also highlighting the geographic advantage Iran holds.

"The geographic layout of the Strait lends itself very well to relatively unsophisticated suicide skiffs, unmanned surface vehicles or USVs," he warned before describing how the area "lends itself to this low-cost, automatic, asymmetric warfare."

"The Iranians can disguise them as fishing boats and can be anywhere from 12 to 30 feet, and a boat could be of any description," Chell said.

"These skiffs are equipped with basic remote control capabilities that may or may not be using GPS waypoints or manual remote control."

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"The skiffs are not autonomous, because the distance across the Strait is so short, and it's very flat across this waterway, the communication signal could be carried for quite some time via a line of sight," he added.

"They could literally have hundreds out there at a time, because they're also so inexpensive to defend against," Chell said.

Lethal elite 'black-clad' kill squad guards Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 19:37:57 -0400

An elite counterterrorism unit has been deployed to protect Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ӣ��Ƶ Digital has learned.

The force, known as NOPO — Iran’s black-clad Counterterrorism Special Force — was assigned to safeguard the leader after a U.S.-Israel strike on a Tehran compound on Feb. 28 killed the elder Khamenei amid the start of Operation Epic Fury.

"With Khamenei gone, NOPO will likely now be protecting Mojtaba Khamenei," Ali Safavi, an official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI said.

The NOPO force, formed in 1991, had the 28th Ruhollah (Khomeini’s first name) Division as its "nucleus", according to Safavi, and typically handles hostage rescue operations. "Its task was not to protect Khamenei," he added.

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The history of the unit also includes deployments against internal security threats, and it has often been called on to suppress protests.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei on March 8, 2026, elevating him as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

His succession comes amid ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel, but so far, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been heard from since the start of the conflict.

According to The Times of Israel, Iranian state television reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the war, with the reports yet unconfirmed.

"NOPO is the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which translates into the Special Force to Protect the Supreme Leader," Safavi further explained before clarifying that "Velayat is not necessarily the supreme leader, but the entirety of the regime."

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Over time, NOPO has evolved into a highly specialized unit distinct from the broader Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military branch established in 1979 to defend the Islamic Republic and its leadership from internal and external threats.

"The NOPO is composed of six brigades only. Four are stationed in Tehran, one in Mashhad and one in Isfahan," Safavi said.

"They are far more lethal, ruthless and well-trained than the IRGC," he claimed before describing how the brigade’s loyalty was to the Supreme Leader.

"This force was used for the protection of Khamenei," Safavi continued. "They are very well-equipped. Khamenei did not trust any other security force for his protection."

Safavi also said that with battalions distributed in other provinces, some members of the unit are involved in protest suppression and the brigade is fully operational.

"Some of the NOPO are now involved in the suppressive and security measures the regime has also undertaken in recent days to prevent any outbreak of protests anywhere," Safavi said.

The elite force’s activities extend beyond personal protection in times of crisis, Safavi added.

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"But in times of crisis, such as what happened during the January uprising, they were heavily involved in opening fire on the protesters," he said.

This comes amid reports that hundreds of NOPO members have also been widely deployed around prisons in Iran that are holding political detainees.

"Hundreds of suppressive forces are widely deployed around the prison. In Ghezel Hesar Prison," the NCRI said in a statement.

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following the bombing of a military center near Mahabad Prison, prisoners whose ward doors had been locked protested and set fire to their blankets, demanding their release under wartime conditions.

"Suppressive forces responded by firing tear gas into the ward," the NCRI reported.

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Reports also indicated NOPO had taken control of Evin Prison in Tehran following the flight of regular prison officials amid intensified conflict.

In 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on NOPO for its part in committing "serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing."

Iran’s new supreme leader is ‘his father on steroids,’ experts warn of hardline rule

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:52:25 -0400

"Think of Mojtaba Khamenei as his father on steroids."

That is how Kasra Aarabi, director of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps research at the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, described Iran’s new supreme leader in comments to ӣ��Ƶ Digital following reports that the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been selected to lead the Islamic Republic.

"Mojtaba was already operating as a ‘mini supreme leader’ in the Bayt-e Rahbari — his father’s office and the core nucleus of power in the regime," Aarabi said.

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"His father had created the Bayt’s extensive apparatus as a hidden power structure to ensure continuity should he be eliminated — and through Mojtaba’s appointment, this is exactly what we will get," Aarabi said.

President Donald Trump also reacted to Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said he was "not happy with" the younger Khamenei replacing his father as leader of Iran’s theocratic system but declined to elaborate on how the United States might respond. "Not going to tell you," Trump said when asked about his plans regarding the new supreme leader. "Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him."

Foundation for Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz said Mojtaba’s appointment is unlikely to moderate Iran’s behavior.

"It’s unlikely Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection as supreme leader will change much," Dubowitz told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "As President Trump said, ‘he’s not going to last long’ — and judging by the president’s track record, he means it. Israel has already put a target on Mojtaba’s back. By elevating this brutal, corrupt, and incompetent figure, the regime shows contempt for its own people, which should strengthen their resolve to overthrow the Islamic Republic.

"Under Mojtaba, Iran is likely to be as dangerous to the world as it was under his father. That’s why this war must continue until the regime is stripped of its deadly capabilities," he said.

An Iranian source with knowledge of the leadership transition told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that earlier speculation Mojtaba might pursue reforms now appears unlikely given the circumstances surrounding his appointment.

"Previously there were whispers suggesting that if Mojtaba were to become the leader, he might introduce reforms that would both open up the domestic political space and bring a more interactive approach to foreign policy," the source said.

"However, now this possibility seems very weak."

Mojtaba was chosen "amid disputes, controversies, and pressure from the IRGC," according to the source, meaning he "owes his appointment to their support and therefore cannot act against their wishes."

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Built inside Iran’s security state

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has spent decades building influence inside the power structures surrounding Iran’s supreme leader.

Born in 1969 in Mashhad, he pursued clerical studies in Tehran, Iran, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought his father to prominence. Over time, however, analysts say his influence developed less through traditional clerical authority and more through Iran’s security institutions.

In 2019, the United States sanctioned Mojtaba under Executive Order 13867. The U.S. Treasury Department said he had been "representing the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father."

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Iran Program, said Mojtaba’s background reflects a broader shift inside the Islamic Republic.

"Despite donning a turban, Mojtaba is the product of the regime’s national security deep state," Ben Taleblu told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "Expect him to work with and through the IRGC to keep his hold on power."

Aarabi said Mojtaba has spent years consolidating influence behind the scenes.

"His past tells us he enjoys micromanaging every aspect of authority to satisfy his thirst for power," Aarabi said, describing how Mojtaba allegedly relocated IRGC command centers to his office during protests, engineered election outcomes and installed loyalists across state institutions.

Since 2019, Aarabi added, Mojtaba has also been implementing what he described as his father’s effort to "purify" the regime by promoting ideological loyalists across the political system.

"Mojtaba is a deeply antisemitic, anti-American, and anti-Western ideologue," Aarabi said. "He has personally been involved in repression in Iran and terror plots abroad."

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Analysts see harder line ahead

Analysts say Mojtaba’s rise may further strengthen the role of Iran’s security institutions.

"The rise of the younger Khamenei expedites trendlines seen in Iranian politics and national security for years," Ben Taleblu said. "From one Khamenei to another, things in Iran can be expected to go from bad to worse if this regime survives."

"And like the elder Khamenei, corruption runs in the family," he added.

Ben Taleblu warned that the regime may also escalate tensions externally as a survival strategy.

"The regime knows it is weak, but believes it can extract a price and widen a crisis in order to survive," he said.

For opposition groups inside Iran, the leadership transition signals continuity rather than reform.

"He's the son of Khamenei and they have same ideology and they same strategy and they try to continue the same policy," said Khalid Azizi, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran.

"So far it's very difficult to say what he will be done and is he going to have a different policy? I don't expect this."

The Iranian source who spoke with ӣ��Ƶ Digital said that while engagement with the United States and the West is theoretically possible in the future, the chances remain slim.

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"As I mentioned," the source said, "this possibility is very weak."

"In short," Aarabi said, "Mojtaba is his father on steroids. He’s certainly no MBS."

US-sanctioned Mojtaba Khamenei named Iran’s next supreme leader after father’s death: reports

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:35:35 -0400

Iran’s Assembly of Experts has elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader, according to Iranian state television.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the second-eldest son of Ali Khamenei and was born in Mashhad in 1969.

His early childhood coincided with his father’s rise as a revolutionary figurehead opposing the monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

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After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Ali Khamenei moved from a dissident cleric to a senior government official, holding key posts in the regime including deputy defense minister.

The family moved from Mashhad to Tehran, where Mojtaba attended Alavi High School, which is a school that is known for educating members of Iran’s political and religious elite.

There, he received a general and religious education and graduated in 1987. In 1989, after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ali Khamenei was appointed supreme leader.

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That same year, Mojtaba began his formal clerical studies in Tehran. He studied under his father as well as Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, who later served as Iran’s chief justice.

Over the years, Mojtaba was seen constantly with his father and was also regarded as an influential figure behind the scenes.

In an Axios interview last week, when asked about reports suggesting Mojtaba Khamenei was the new supreme leader, President Donald Trump said, "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran." Trump also said "They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela."

In 2019, the U.S. sanctioned Mojtaba Khamenei under Executive Order 13867. The U.S. Treasury Department stated that he had been "representing the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father."

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The Treasury also said that the supreme leader had delegated part of his leadership responsibilities to Mojtaba.

It said he worked closely with commanders of the IRGC’s Quds Force and the Basij Resistance Force, positioning him as a key player in both domestic and international security affairs.

Mojtaba is married to the daughter of former Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel.

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Among Ali Khamenei’s sons, he is considered the most powerful and politically influential, according to reports.

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