Lawmakers Probe How Iran Ex-Official Appeared In Pentagon Event

Jason Schmidt, the US district attorney overseeing the case, revealed a separate inquiry led by the US federal government, specifically the US Attorney's Office into the case of Hadi Matar with a focus on Iran. Matar, a 25-year-old man accused of stabbing Rushdie multiple times during the writer’s appearance at a summer cultural festival last August is now accused of having possible connections to foreign entities.

“There are some areas that we have to sort of confine ourselves to the four corners of the charges that we've asserted, which is essentially an attempted murder in the second-degree charge. That's our top count,” said Schmidt.

This scrutiny is linked to Iran's historical involvement due to Ayatollah Khomeini's 1989 fatwa against Rushdie because of what he asserted were sacrilegious sections regarding Islam in Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses."

Iranian religious groups have also offered rewards for Rushdie, with such offers extending as recently as last year.

While Matar's assault on Rushdie was initially seen as an individual act, concerns have arisen regarding foreign support, especially given Matar's time in Lebanon and his possession of a counterfeit Hezbollah-related ID.

The investigation's complexity extends beyond local jurisdiction, involving national security and diplomacy amid ongoing negotiations with Iran.

Experts suggest that Matar was possibly influenced by Hezbollah during his time in Lebanon and that this may have played a role in his alleged attack. Iran has denied direct involvement but expressed support for the attack.

The focus of the investigation remains on Matar, with the US State Department imposing sanctions on an Iranian organization linked to bounties on Rushdie.

Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent years, marked by events such as the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani and alleged plots against US officials.

Media outlets with close ties to Hezbollah have not provided additional information about the nature and outcomes of the meeting.

Amir-Abdollahian also held discussions with the Speaker of Lebanon's Parliament Nabih Berri.

The visit to Lebanon follows a two-day visit to Syria, where Amir-Abdollahian held talks with President Bashar al-Assad to discuss the importance of strengthening regional ties. Whilst in Damascus, Amir-Abdollahian also commended the recent developments in Iran-Saudi relations, emphasizing their “mutual benefits and regional significance”.

The FM’s trip to both Syria and Lebanon coincides with ongoing reports of Israeli attacks on quasi-military groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic in Syria.

During a press conference, Amir-Abdollahian called for the withdrawal of US troops from the region and criticized Israeli airstrikes targeting sites in Syria, warning that such actions would inevitably invite retaliatory measures. “No party is capable of blocking historic transportation routes,” he said.

Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes on targets in government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, often targeting Iranian-backed armed groups and concentrations of Iranian weaponry transferred to Syria.

Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Bashar al-Assad's government since the eruption of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Iran has provided both military and financial backing, deploying its own military personnel, Lebanese Hezbollah, and militias from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan to bolster President Assad's forces in their battle against opposition groups.

Reps. Mark Green (R., Tenn.), the House Homeland Security chair, and August Pfluger (R., Texas) have written to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Counterterrorism Center Christine Abizaid, “to request additional information about the persistent threats posed by Iran’s campaign to direct operations against U.S. persons or other targets in the U.S. homeland.”

Since the targeted killing of Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s top military and intelligence operator in the Middle East, in January 2020, the Iranian regime has repeatedly threatened revenge of former Trump administration officials.

The Justice Department revealed on August 10, 2022, that an operative of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard tried to hire a hitman in the US to kill former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Bolton told Iran International Television at the time that he was not surprised an indictment was unsealed because he was kept informed “in general terms until late in 2021 when it was determined I would again get secret service protection.”

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Congressmen Green and Pfluger citing Bolton’s case also mentioned threats against former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others. “Further, credible threats by Iran have continued to persist against Pompeo as well as his former top aide, Brian Hook, who served as special representative for Iran during the prior administration.”

The letter cited Iran’s militant proxy the Hezbollah, which is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States, and its global reach. It cited testimony by FBI Director Wray who told Congress that the Lebanese Shiite group has sent operatives “to build terrorist infrastructure worldwide. The arrests of individuals in the United States allegedly linked to Hizballah’s main overseas terrorist arm, and their intelligence collection and procurement efforts, demonstrate Hizballah’s interest in long-term contingency planning activities here in the Homeland.”

The lawmakers expressed concern that the Biden administration continues to engage with Iran for a nuclear deal, while these activities continue. 

“To assist the Committee’s examination of the threats posed by Iran in the U.S. homeland, we request that DHS, the FBI, and NCTC provide Committee staff a classified briefing no later than September 14, 2023 about these ongoing threats, to include but not limited to, information about the number of active plots by Iran or its proxies against U.S. persons living in the United States, as well as information about your respective agencies’ coordination efforts for threat intelligence to counter Iran’s activities,” the letter said.

In August the administration agreed to allow $6 billion of frozen Iranian funds in South Korea to be unblocked, after allowing $2.7 billion to be released from Iraq in June. Although the reason for these steps is presented as a hostage release deal, numerous reports have indicated the possible existence of more secret arrangements.

Iran has reportedly reduced the pace of its uranium enrichment, while the Biden administration look the other way as Tehran boosts its oil exports to China in violation of US sanctions. Iran’s oil exports in August reached nearly 2 million barrels per day, regaining almost all its lost market since the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA nuclear agreement and imposed sanctions in 2018.

Protesters, demanding an end to President Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian rule, earlier closed the ruling Baath party headquarters in Sweida, a southwestern Syrian Druze city. Similar fervent rallies have also been reported in Aleppo, Daraa, Deir Ezzor, and Jableh.

Demonstrators are calling for sweeping political changes while decrying deteriorating living standards, the continued incarceration of political dissidents, rampant corruption, and poor governance.

The immediate trigger for the protests was the government's decision earlier this month to cut fuel subsidies, a move that sent shockwaves through a populace already grappling with the precipitous decline of the Syrian lira. As the value of the currency plummeted, so did the people's patience.

Ironically, Iran which has supported Assad's regime since 2011 with troops and economic assistance to the tune of $50 billion, is also grappling with severe shortages of gasoline and mulling a hike in prices.

Youths sealed the gates of the Baath party building, led by Assad, with welding machines. This rising dissent in once-loyal areas poses a significant challenge to Assad's hold on power after winning a more than decade-long civil war with crucial support from Russia and Iran. Scores of local branches of the Baath party whose officials hold top government posts were also closed by protesters in one province, with its cadres fleeing, Reuters cited residents as saying.

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Civic activists and witnesses on the ground report that the protests show no signs of abating as the demonstrators demand reforms to address their grievances and to forge a more equitable future.

"Step down Bashar, we want to live in dignity," protesters chanted in Sweida’s main square where Druze top spiritual leaders have given their blessing for their protests without endorsing calls for an end to five decades of Assad family rule.

Unlike in the past, Sweida's elders and tribal leaders, previously aligned with Assad, are no longer neutral observers. They actively encourage the protests, marking a significant shift in their stance. The chants on the streets echo those from the 2011 Syrian uprising.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the living conditions are worsening in Syria, with about 90 percent of the population living below the poverty line and 12.4 million Syrians suffering from food insecurity.

Concerns have also grown regarding Iran's influence in Syria. Demonstrators in Sweida demand the complete withdrawal of Iranian forces from their country, citing the presence of Iranian-backed militias as a contentious issue contributing to violence and instability.

Iran intervened in the Syrian civil war as early as 2011 to defeat a rebellion against Assad. Syria has become a key battleground between Iran and its enemies, and expands its presence in the region. Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, has carried out hundreds of air strikes in government-controlled parts of that country in recent years, though it rarely acknowledges them.

On Thursday, Iran’s visiting Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Syria is in its “best condition” today. “We are happy that the region and the world recognized the reality and power of Syria. Nevertheless, the enemies of Syria are seeking to pursue their own political objectives by subjecting its government and nation to sanctions and economic pressure.”

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“The Islamic Republic of Iran will keep standing by Syria and its nation in the new situation, as it was the case in difficult times,” he added.

While the Assad regime has thus far refrained from resorting to a full-scale bloodbath to suppress the protests, the situation remains precarious. Some observers within Syria suggest that the Assad regime is still deciding on a course of action, while others fear an escalation of violence in response to the ongoing demonstrations.

In a statement issued on August 30, the dissidents condemned the government's scaremongering ahead of the anniversary and called for sympathy with young protesters. 

During recent arrests, including the detention of popular singer Mehdi Yarahi, the government posted pictures of his harsh treatment with the obvious intention of scaring others who might support the protests. Social media activists called on others to avoid reposting the pictures and frightening potential protesters and their supporters. 

Also reports on Wednesday said that security forces used violence while they arrested Iranian journalist Nazila Maroufian for the 4th time this year. 

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The joint statement, signed by activists including Mehdi Nasiri (the former editor of Kayhan newspaper who is now a staunch critic of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei), former student leader and political prisoner Abdollah Momeni, dissident cleric Shahabeddin Haeri Shirazi, and reformist figure Abdollah Naseri, among others, emphasizes that any security, military, or judicial measures taken against protesters on the anniversary of the Women, Life, Freedom movement will only further fuel the accumulated anger of Iranians.

The statement additionally asserts that protesting "erroneous policies that have brought the country to the brink of collapse" and expressing dissent toward "the government's detrimental actions" are integral aspects of Iranians' rights as citizens. The statement also emphasizes the importance of holding the government responsible for its "harmful policies," and suggests that the government should not avoid its duty towards the nation.

The signatories strongly denounced the harassment faced by the families of individuals who were either killed or injured during the protests. They emphasized that subjecting these families to such treatment would equate to a violation of the citizenship rights of the Iranian people. Moreover, the signatories also criticized the parliament for passing new legislation concerning hijab, deeming it illogical and a means to infringe upon the rights of the people.

Quoting several political analysts on the subject, Iranian Lawyer Pegah Bani-Hashemi told Iran International television that "Even those who do not believe in regime change predict that the government might start a period of unprecedented bloodshed in Iran."

Meanwhile, Iranian journalist Reza Haji Hosseini, in a conversation with Iran International TV, found it peculiar that the activists who aimed to show solidarity with the Women, Life, Freedom movement through this statement did not include any women among their ranks. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the courage exhibited by the signatories. They boldly cautioned the government against potential severe actions on the movement's anniversary, especially as the government appears resolute in quashing any form of protest.

In another interview with the Iran International TV, political activist Damoun Mohammadi said: "Not only scaring the people and political and human rights activists will not have any positive result for the regime, but it is more likely to flare up further protests." 

Iran International journalist Siamak Ghaderi highlighted that the statement serves as evidence that despite the government’s efforts to suppress activists and protesters, the movement remains vibrant and active within the fabric of Iranian society. 

The statement from Iranian activists warns that any attempt to suppress protests on the anniversary could pose a significant threat to Iran. It emphasizes that the government and its decision-makers will be held accountable for all repercussions stemming from any acts of violence.