Tehran Responds To Israeli Attack With Revenge Billboards

In a tweet, the Washington-based NGO said the attack “highlights the very real dangers that hound many journalists reporting from exile”.

Iran International TV host and journalist Pouria Zeraatia was stabbed several times by unidentified individuals outside of his home in Wimbledon last Friday. He has since been released from hospital.

Describing the attack on Zeraati “awful” the NGO also called for those responsible to be held “fully accountable”.

This week, Metropolitan Police confirmed that the three individuals suspected of being involved in the stabbing have left the UK.

Citing its own research on transnational repression, Freedom House said at least 26 governments have “reached across borders” to target exiled journalists – including Iran.

The NGO also highlighted the threat faced by two other Iran International journalists, who were targeted in an Iranian regime plot to assassinate them, writing that the plot was the regime’s attempt to disrupt coverage of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

Titled “A Light That Cannot Be Extinguished”, Freedom House’s December 2023 report mentions the Islamic Republic among governments known for targeting journalists working abroad.

The report also points out that China, Turkey, Russia, and Saudi Arabia have targeted journalists beyond their borders, either through physical attacks or attempts to silence them.

Between 2014 and 2023, the NGO says, there have been at least 112 instances of state-sponsored physical repression against journalists – including physical assault, detention, abduction, and unlawful expulsion.

These governments try to stop the dissemination of truth, using intimidation tactics targeting journalists' families, including summoning and detaining them. They also often use online harassment and smear campaigns to threaten and suppress journalists.

Freedom House points to various pressures exiled journalists, particularly on women, face in performing their work – and in particular, the threats Iran International faces as a news network.

In 2023, the report says, the UK police alerted Iran International to a serious, urgent, and specific threat against journalists and the network's offices in London – which prompted the temporary relocation of its studios to Washington, DC.

"We are working day in, day out, to effectively prevent the transfer of weapons and materials to Russia, to fuel that war machine, to fuel the defence industrial base, including from Iran, from North Korea and from China," Antony Blinken stated in Paris on Tuesday.

Expressing concerns over the potential impact of such transfers, Blinken emphasized, "This is not just a threat to Ukraine, it's a threat to European security overall."

Recent reports have raised alarms about the supply of various weaponry to Russia. South Korea's defense minister disclosed last month that North Korea had dispatched approximately 7,000 containers of arms to Russia since around July, intended for use in the conflict with Ukraine.

Iran's involvement in the conflict includes supplying drones to Russia, prompting warnings from G7 countries last month regarding potential sanctions if Tehran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Since mid-2022, the Iranian regime has stood as a steadfast ally of Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Reports indicate that Iran has provided hundreds of kamikaze Shahed UAVs to Russia, extensively utilized for targeting civilian infrastructure and urban areas in Ukraine.

While China has denied selling lethal weapons for use in the conflict, Blinken reiterated the collaborative efforts of the international community to thwart such support. "We are working together to try to interrupt and penalise any provision of this kind of support whether from Iran, North Korea or elsewhere including China," Blinken affirmed.

In February 2017 authorities revealed the presence of two billion barrels of shale oil reserves in the western province of Lorestan. To try and ascertain the feasibility of extraction and develop efficient technologies, the governmental National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) collaborated with universities on a pilot project. This effort was likely meant to showcase Iran's dedication to expand its energy sources.

The NIOC’s Exploration Manager Mehdi Fakour later alleged that ten locations containing shale oil resources had been found and confirmed. Confident in the ability of the NIOC’s extraction model, Fakour told the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency that over 2.5 billion barrels equivalent of oil were added to Iran's reserves through new discoveries in 1402.

Though the discovery of shale oil reserves in Lorestan province could offer significant opportunities for Iran's energy sector, it also presents substantial obstacles for Tehran.

Iran’s vast challenges

Iran encounters numerous challenges in its quest for shale oil production. Obtaining the necessary technological expertise stands out as a major hurdle. While the current pilot project seeks to address this issue, Iran must also pursue technology transfer from more experienced nations to fully capitalize on its resources. Moreover, the economic feasibility of shale oil production is uncertain, underscoring the need for a thorough analysis of both technical capabilities and economic factors.

International sanctions have intensified Iran's pre-existing challenges in developing its oil sector, especially concerning its shale oil deposits. The regime’s ongoing proxy conflict with Israel has not only contributed to regional volatility and instability but has also impeded Iran's ability to attract international investment and technology from countries like Israel and the US.

Additionally, a significant challenge stems from the scarcity of water, which is crucial for shale oil production. To address this issue, Iran must explore water-saving technology and techniques. This entails investing in strategies to conserve water and adopting technology for recycling and reusing water resources throughout the extraction process.

Does Tehran see major potential in shale oil?

The discovery of shale oil presents a tremendous opportunity – if Tehran genuinely wants to utilize its energy resources to foster prosperity and enhance its global influence. This finding could enable the country to diversify its energy portfolio and diminish its dependence on traditional oil supplies.

Successfully exploiting shale oil deposits could increase Iran's oil production capacity, thereby compensating for declines resulting from depletion and mismanagement of existing reserves and the impact of sanctions. Increased production through successful shale oil exports could significantly bolster economic development. Exploiting these assets can enhance Iran's energy security by reducing its reliance on imported oil and gas.

Iran’s exaggerated claims and technical limitations

It’s important to note that Iran's actual claim of discovering significant shale oil deposits in Lorestan lacks any independent validation.

That coupled with the Iranian authorities’ long history of exaggerating energy reserves, casts a real shadow on the potential of any potential find in Lorestan.

So far, the NIOC’s ongoing pilot study has encountered numerous hindrances, including technological restrictions, economic limitations, and geopolitical complexities.

Unlocking Iran’s shale oil reserves would require Tehran to face and overcome these major roadblocks, and given the existing multi-layered constraints – skepticism is warranted.

Whether Iran’s government is capable of effectively tapping into Lorestan’s shale oil deposits, improving its people's well-being, remains to be anyone’s guess at this stage.

Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi also accused Israel of sending a message with its recent airstrike on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus.

“Israel intends to convey with its attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus that it is fighting Iran in Gaza and that Iran is backing Hamas and the people of Gaza,” he said.

He claimed that to avert further perilous incidents a “suitable response” must be given.

The airstrike, which occurred on Monday, resulted in the destruction of the consulate building in Damascus. Reports indicate that at least seven officials, including high-ranking members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, were killed in the attack. Additionally, six Syrian citizens lost their lives in the airstrike.

Fadahossein Maleki, another member of the National Security Commission of the Parliament, stated that Iran has conveyed a "serious message" to the United States through the Swiss embassy, holding the Americans accountable for the incident.

However, the United States denied any involvement in the airstrike. White House national security spokesman John Kirby dismissed Iranian accusations, stating that the US was not involved in any way. Kirby emphasized the US commitment to protecting its troops and facilities in the region.

On Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed punishment for Israel, while President Ebrahim Raisi asserted that the attack would “not go unanswered.”

The Mayor, hardliner Alireza Zakani, along with other officials, say the construction of a mosque at Gheytarieh Park is in response to "popular demand" for providing places of worship for park users. The officials have also argued that the mosque would not significantly limit the park's space – nor would it harm its several-hundred-year-old trees.

Critics however, say there are already numerous mosques near the park, frequented by only a few worshippers during prayers. Some religious figures and activists have vehemently opposed Mayor Zakani's plans, particularly his intention to build mosques in all of the capital's parks.

“Building mosques is a community act of faith, not a municipal duty … Building parks, building highways, developing urban systems, optimizing roads, etc., are the duties of the municipality, which, praised be God, it does awfully little for,” Seyed Saeed Lavasani, a former Friday prayer Imam of Lavasan in northern Tehran tweeted on X.

One of the reasons cited by critics for the mayor’s insistence that mosques need to be built in parks stands out from the rest: a behind-the-scenes agreement between the mayor and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and other authorities to expand the network of mosques, as well as the Basij militia bases stationed at them, across the capital.

People opposed to construction of the mosque at Gheytarieh Park measure the girth of the trees that have to be felled.

The Basij paramilitary force, which operates under IRGC command, has always been at the forefront in suppressing anti-government protests, alongside other security forces.

Didban-e Iran news website in an article entitled “Demystification of Construction of a Mosque at Gheytarieh Park of Tehran” contended that the mayor’s zeal in building mosques drives from an agreement with the IRGC to provide more bases for housing Basij forces.

Instead of paying attention to the poor southern areas of the city, the Mayor of Tehran has begun plans to expand the network of mosques in the northern areas of the capital where public discontent is at its greatest,” the article read.

While arguing that construction of a mosque in Gheytarieh park without the consent of the public would backfire and make them hate Islam – and mosques as its most important symbol – Abolfazl Najafi-Tehrani, a cleric and social media activist, alleged that Zakani’s real plan is “to build Basij bases under the guise of the mosque”.

Mosques have played an important role in the security structure of the country since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Many mosques across the country have previously housed the paramilitary Basij militia.

The militia, which recruited civilian volunteers from mosques to fight in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and acted as neighborhood police, was established by the order of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, soon after the Revolution.

Until their dissolution in 1991, committees of the Islamic Revolution, also established in 1979 by Khomeini’s order, were also often stationed at mosques. Until their dissolution in 1991, they also took on the role of police and secret service in conjunction with security forces including the Revolutionary Guards, police, intelligence ministry, and Basij.

In the past few years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards officials, particularly Brigadier General Hasan Hassanzadeh – commander of Mohammad Rasulullah Corps in Tehran Province – have often spoken of the implementation of a plan to “create Islamic neighborhoods” centered around mosques. In July 2023, Hassanzadeh said the plan, which was projected in 2017, had been implemented in 700 of the capital’s neighborhoods.

“Mosques and Basij Resistance bases should play a greater role in the cohesion of neighborhoods. The function of a mosque should not be confined to purely religious activities and their focus must include cultural and social functions alongside religious and devotional ceremonies,” he said.

Hassanzadeh has met with the mayor of Tehran several times in the past couple of years to discuss the municipality’s cooperation with the Basij.

In November 2021, addressing the members of Tehran City Council, Hassanzadeh said the Basij had 2,500 bases in Tehran and underlined the importance of “Islamic neighborhoods” and utilizing the “astonishing potentials of the Basij”.

In the same speech, he complimented Zakani, a former head of the Student Basij in universities, as “the most Basiji mayor of Tehran since the Revolution”.