US Concerned About Gaza War Spreading To Other Fronts

Mehrjui and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar, a screenwriter and costume designer, were discovered brutally mutilated in their own home in the Fardis district of Karaj, located approximately 30 kilometers west of the capital, Tehran, on Saturday night.

According to Faraz Daily news website, the perpetrators cut the throats of the pair and broke their arms and legs, and inflicted severe injuries on them. Mehrjui’s head was clobbered with a blunt object and his wife was almost beheaded. Mohammadifar’s arm was also bent from the elbow to the back, and her wounds were deeper, leading the daily to the conclusion that the attackers had a deeper animosity towards his wife.

Mohammadifar had recently reported a confrontation with an apparent burglar outside their home and had received direct threats from the unidentified individual wielding a knife. 

Information obtained by Iran International reveals that the Mehrjui couple had been threatened with death multiple times by unidentified individuals in recent days. Although Mehrjui had reported these threats to the police on multiple occasions, the police did not take them seriously.

Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that despite Mohammadifar's social media posts about the threats, the family had not officially filed a complaint with the police. Nasser Khaki, the town's prosecutor, rejected initial reports about beheadings, stating, "This couple were killed due to suffocation, severe bodily blows, and sharp bodily injuries, presumably from a knife."

Khaki claimed that the murders happened between 9pm and 10pm, adding, “We know that the murders likely occurred after opening the house's safe, and that other signs of theft were also evident, and even Mohammadifar's gold jewelry was taken from her hands.” 

According to Mona, the daughter who discovered her parents dead, her father had talked to her on the phone at 8.50pm, but when she arrived home at 10.25pm her parents were dead.

In an Instagram post that was apparently published several months ago, Mohammadifar claimed that the burglar who threatened her with a knife had a non-Iranian accent. This detail has led to speculation online suggesting that the perpetrators might be Afghan migrants who live in large numbers in the area. 

According to Fars news agency, another IRGC-linked media outlet, four suspects have been arrested for the murder case so far, but none of the detained individuals were foreigners. "Given the nature of the crime and its violence, there is a possibility of personal vendetta. It's possible that the partial theft of gold and mobile phones was carried out with the aim of disguising the true motives," the agency claimed. 

There is a conspiracy theory circulating online that the murders are intended to exploit the growing concern about the increasing number of Afghans in Iran and the reported violence, both by them and against them. Mohammadifar mentioned in another Instagram post that she was accused of racism because she complained about being threatened by a foreigner.

Another theory circulating online claims the murders were the continuation of the politically motivated serial assassinations – also known as Chain murders of Iran, a series of 1988–98 murders and disappearances of Iranian dissident intellectuals. 

Mehrjui's notable stance against censorship and his vocal opposition to security measures imposed on Iranian cinema were well-documented. In a video message addressing the cancellation of the screening of his film “La Minor” (A Minor), he asserted, "I can no longer endure this. I will mobilize and, alongside my team, stage a protest at the Ministry of Culture. I am ready to fight."

Fans, friends, and coworkers of Mehrjui have expressed their sadness on social media, remembering his work as a pivotal figure in Iran's film new wave during the early 1970s.

"We have just learned of the tragic death of Iranian film director Dariush Mehrjui and his wife, both brutally murdered by thieves," said Jean-Marc Thérouanne, the director of the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in France, in a statement. He noted that several of Mehrjui's movies were screened at Vesoul. 

In 1959, Mehrjui moved to the United States to study at the UCLA’s Department of Cinema. He studied there under Jean Renoir. He received many awards, including a Silver Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival in 1998 and a Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival 1993. Most of Mehrjui’s films are inspired by literature and adapted from Iranian and foreign novels and plays. 

In 1959, Mehrjui moved to the United States to study at UCLA's Department of Cinema. He studied there under French cinema giant Jean Renoir. He received numerous awards, including a Silver Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival in 1998 and a Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 1993. Most of Mehrjui's films are inspired by literature and adapted from Iranian and foreign novels and plays.

The report, titled "Analysis of the Status of Low-Orbit Satellite Internet Services in Iran," delves into the specific case of Starlink in Iran and worldwide, saying buying and selling the equipment in the country must be banned.

In the 30-page report, the authors present the governmental perspective on controlling satellite internet technology, considering both its current and future implications. One of the most important aspects of the report is the suggestion to use punitive measures and criminal policies to minimize perceived "threats" and to adopt innovation "without compromising national sovereignty."

The report describes Starlink, a US-based company under SpaceX, as a project with “military objectives,” posing potential threats to the national security of other countries.

One of the long-term scenarios outlined in the report for controlling access to satellite internet services involves the creation of a consortium with China and Russia, key allies of the regime.

In the last twenty years, Iran has enforced severe censorship policies on internet access, curtailing the freedom of its citizens to access information. The measures include the blocking of both foreign and domestic websites. Nonetheless, individuals have found ways to bypass these constraints through the widespread adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Following the announcement of US sanctions exemptions for Starlink, access to the satellite internet services of this company became available to residents of Iran last October. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, later confirmed that around 100 Starlink terminals had become operational in Iran.

The ministry's statement on Sunday states, "The Islamic Republic of Iran's policy concerning the FATF remains unaltered."

Any modifications to this approach, the statement clarifies, must be subjected to scrutiny by the appropriate authorities.

The FATF, or the Financial Action Task Force, is an initiative established by G-7 nations to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The recent resurgence of discussions regarding Iran's approach to FATF coincided with the international scrutiny that followed a violent attack by Hamas on Israel, leading to criticism of Iran's support for the organization.

On Saturday, a prominent politician in Tehran hinted that President Ebrahim Raisi's administration might consider revisiting four bills related to Iran's potential adherence to FATF conventions. The four bills have lingered in Iran's legislative process since 2017, facing opposition, especially from hardliners. They encompass measures for joining the convention against organized crime, amending the anti-money laundering law, accepting the convention against financial support for terrorism, and amending the law against financial support for terrorism.

The statement concludes by making a plea to the media, urging them to approach the matter with a “technical perspective, devoid of political bias.”

Opposition to the bills from hardliners has been based on the argument that their acceptance would constrain Iran from providing financial support to groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah, which are designated as terrorist organizations by numerous countries.

Local law enforcement authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths, with the motive for the killings yet to be determined.

On Saturday evening, the police said the pair were stabbed to death in the neck and body in a gruesome incident involving multiple individuals.

Mona Mehrjui, the daughter of the director, found their bodies when she visited her father's home on Saturday night in Karaj, approximately 30 kilometers west of the capital, Tehran.

Mohammadifar had recently reported a burglary outside their home and direct threats from an individual brandishing a knife. She had also contacted the police regarding her concerns.

Mehrjui's notable stance against censorship and his vocal opposition to security measures imposed on Iranian cinema were well-documented. In a video message addressing the cancellation of the screening of his film La Minor, he asserted, "I can no longer endure this. I will mobilize and, alongside my team, stage a protest at the Ministry of Culture. I am ready to fight."

He was a renowned figure in Iranian cinema and was widely recognized for his contributions as a filmmaker and screenwriter. He was a pivotal figure in the Iranian New Wave cinema and was celebrated for his works, including The Cow, Mr. Naive, The Postman, The Cycle, Hamoun, Leila, and Pari.

While the Iranian foreign minister met with its proxy Hezbollah in Beirut, the Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi warned the Lebanese militant group not to start a war on a second front, threatening the "destruction of Lebanon" if it did.

The regime’s UN representatives wrote on X further warnings against the Jewish state, calling the attack on Gaza a “genocide”, in spite of October 7’s attack on Israeli soil being the most deadly day for Jews since the Holocaust as militant slaughtered civilians in towns across Israel's south.

“If the Israeli apartheid’s war crimes and genocide are not halted immediately, the situation could spiral out of control and ricochet far-reaching consequences — the responsibility of which lies with the UN, the Security Council & the states steering the Council toward a dead end,” it stated.

On a visit to Lebanon as part of a regional tour this weekend, foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed Hezbollah, its biggest proxy positioned on Israel’s northern border, had scenarios “designed” and “prepared” in case the blitz on Gaza does not stop.

In strong words, he warned that if Israel did not stop its attacks on Gaza which have so far taken out key military figures, “their [Hezbollah’s] finger is on the trigger to shoot”, putting it right in the middle of the conflict it continues to deny involvement in.

Amir-Abdollahian added: “I know about the scenarios that Hezbollah has put in place. Any step the resistance [Hezbollah] will take will cause a huge earthquake in the Zionist entity.

“I want to warn the war criminals and those who support this entity before it’s too late to stop the crimes against civilians in Gaza, because it might be too late in few hours.”

As thousands of Palestinians are dying amidst the war, Hamas continues to use its citizens as shields across the enclave, with footage released by analysts showing the terror group blocking safe passage for Gaza’s heading south after warnings from the IDF of imminent air strikes on military targets.

On Sunday, a senior Israeli official claimed Iran is trying to open a second war front by deploying weapons in or through Syria. Responding to a post of the X social-media platform that posited such a scenario, Joshua Zarka, head of strategic affairs for Israel's Foreign Ministry, said the country is determined to prevent a multi-fronted assault.

It comes in the wake of attacks on Aleppo and Damascus airports last week. While Israel does not comment on such operations, it is widely believed it was aimed to prevent the transfer of Iranian weapons to its proxies in Syria.

While nations including the US has said there are no clear signs that Iran is behind the war, the State Department released information claiming the regime funds Hamas with at least $100 million per year, in addition to operational and weapons support.

In 2019, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in partnership with the Sultanate of Oman, designated financial facilitators responsible for moving tens of millions of dollars between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and HAMAS’s operational arm, the Izz-Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza. 

Over recent months, a stream of meetings between Tehran and its Palestinian proxies in addition to Hezbollah in Lebanon have taken place across the region.

Both President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have both come out in praising Operation Al Aqsa Storm which last week saw hundreds of Hamas militants enter Israel by land, sea and air on Saturday morning, accompanied by a bombardment of thousands of rockets.

Last week, Raisi said: "Their resistance in this glorious operation is exemplary. The determination of the young Palestinians has created a great epic and demonstrated that oppressing a nation, displacing people, and occupying their land may last for a while, but it infuriates the oppressed people, and they are no longer willing to endure the oppression. I hope God helps the fighters in liberating their land.”

The US and UK have moved warships to the region and have vowed unequivocal military support to Israel as it fights against the terror group, deterring further involvement from Iran and its proxies.

Last week in talks with Jewish community leaders, Biden said: "We moved the US carrier fleet to the eastern Mediterranean and we are sending more fighter jets to that region, and made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful.”