Iran’s Regime Effectively Ends Election Weeks Before Voting Day

In spite of the Israeli military announcing the death of 24 soldiers, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency wildly inflated the numbers, claiming 50 soldiers had been killed, calling it “the biggest blow to Israel” since the October 7 attack in which 1,200 mostly civilians were murdered in Israel and a further 250 or more taken hostage.

Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said 21 soldiers were killed when two buildings they had mined for demolition exploded after militants fired at a nearby tank. Earlier in the day, three soldiers were reportedly killed in a separate attack in southern Gaza.

"Yesterday we experienced one of our most difficult days since the war erupted," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "In the name of our heroes, for the sake of our lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory."

The deaths came as the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) attacked the western part of Khan Younis, the main city in the south of the enclave which is sheltering hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have fled areas to the north. Israel says the city is now the principal base of Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza and has significant backing from Tehran.

Gazans say the advancing Israeli forces have since Monday blockaded and stormed hospitals in the crowded city, leaving the wounded and dead beyond the reach of rescuers.

Israel says Hamas fighters operate in and around hospitals, making them legitimate targets. Hospital staff and Hamas deny this.

Alireza Tangsiri asserted that the "Maritime Operations of Yemen in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are aimed at supporting Muslims by hindering the passage of ships associated with Israel or those heading towards Israel,” referring to the Red Sea blockade imposed by the Yemeni militia recently redesignated by the US.

His remarks align with the stance of other Iranian officials, claiming that “Yemen is an independent country with a formidable military and an autonomous leader who operates without taking orders from any external entity,” in spite of the fact that Iran's Supreme Leader had initiated the calls for the blockade in the wake of the Gaza war.

Following Iran-backed Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, Israel's relentless retaliatory attacks led Iran's proxies around the region not only to launch attacks on Israel, but the US has also been targeted for its allegiance with the Jewish state.

The Red Sea blockade has led to the US and UK hitting key targets in Yemen in a bid to overcome the crisis affecting global shipping routes, the Red Sea representing 12% of global shipping.

Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, recently rejected accusations of supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been accused of disrupting global trade through attacks on commercial vessels. In an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Amir-Abdollahian asserted that individuals from Yemen and other regional countries supporting Palestinians act independently.

Amid the ongoing conflict, Iran continues to support Hamas in its confrontation with Israel and supplies weapons to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which, in turn, supports Hamas by targeting Israel's north. Responding to Houthi attacks, the US and its allies have conducted strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported that attempts to allow Salimi's family a last visit were thwarted on Tuesday. The family arrived at the prison only to discover that the execution had already taken place.

Salimi, Khosro Besharat, Kamran Sheikheh, and Anwar Khezri, all sentenced to death in the same case, had been on a hunger strike since December 30, protesting the execution of three co-defendants and fearing their own impending fate.

Amnesty International had expressed serious concerns about Salimi's execution, calling on Iranian authorities to halt the process immediately. This follows a pattern, as three other co-defendants faced a similar fate in Ghezelhesar prison in recent months.

The case dates back to the arrests of seven individuals in West Azerbaijan province in December 2009 and January 2010, accused of belonging to "Salafist groups." In 2018, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran convicted them of "corruption on Earth" and alleged involvement in the 2008 murder of Abdolrahim Tina. Despite consistent denials, the Supreme Court upheld their convictions in 2020, refusing a retrial.

Since the uprising of 2022 hundreds of political prisoners have been executed in Iran, which has now been named the world's highest executioner per capita, with an average of three killings per day according to US-based Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency. 

“Sometimes, the positions and statements of officials from Islamic countries are mistaken because they talk about issues like the Gaza ceasefire that are beyond their authority and are in the hands of the sinister Zionist enemy. Islamic countries' officials should take action on matters that are within their purview,” the 84-year-old authoritarian ruler said.

Khamenei, a long-time supporter of Hamas and a strong opponent of Israel’s existence, repeated his earlier calls to boycott and blockade Israel. “The matter that is within the reach of officials of Islamic countries is cutting the vital lifelines to the Zionist regime. Islamic countries should sever their political and economic ties with the Zionist regime and refrain from assisting this regime,” he said.

Khamenei called for a blockade of Israel on November 1, 2023, weeks after the Hamas invasion of Israel and the start of the Gaza war. Two weeks after his call, Iran’s Houthi proxies in Yemen began firing missiles and drones at commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea area, claiming that they were targeting ships headed for Israeli ports or affiliated with Israel.

The Houthi attacks have continued, disrupting commercial maritime traffic in the vital waterway. The United States and some of their allies have formed a naval coalition to protect shipping. US and UK have attacked Houthi military position in Yemen several times to degrade their ability to fire missiles and drones.

According to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, the ceremony marking the integration was attended by Army Commander-in-Chief Abdol-Rahim Mousavi and Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani on Tuesday.

The report detailed the integration of various multipurpose strategic drones, including Ababil-4 and Ababil-5, designed for a range of missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, electronic warfare, and combat operations. Additionally, “the Arash and Bavar drones, known for their long-range and precision strike capabilities, along with the jet drone Karrar, capable of performing various interception missions,” were also added to the army's arsenal.

“The drones have been significantly upgraded and are equipped with advanced features such as self-protection and anti-jamming systems, indigenous multi-navigation systems, and smart precision weaponry. They are reportedly designed for special and updated capabilities, enabling combined operations with other weapon systems and for network-centric warfare,” added Tasnim.

While the exact number of drones delivered was not disclosed by the Iranian regime, they have regularly made similar announcements regarding new weapons developments. Iran's development of drones has drawn international criticism, particularly following the provision of so-called “kamikaze” drones to Russia's military in 2022.

However, Iranian officials have consistently defended their drone program as “essential for national security.” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the deputy chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination, previously stated to IRNA that nearly 200 drones are operational over the strategic waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.