US Base in Syria Comes Under Attack After Months of Relative Calm
Green Berets wait in a M-ATV Special Forces Vehicle for a gun truck near Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria.
A drone aiming for a US military base in Syria's Al-Tanf was intercepted and destroyed on Saturday, months after Iran-backed militants suspended such attacks following the deaths of three US troopers in an attack on a nearby base.
The Al-Tanf base, located within a 55-kilometer exclusion zone at the convergence of the Syrian, Jordanian, and Iraqi borders, engaged its air defenses after the drone ventured in from the east, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Saturday.
The incident occurred less than 24 hours after airstrikes that hit an Iranian-backed militia in the Al Bukamal area near the Syrian-Iraqi border, reportedly killing one and injuring two militants.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the drone attack on the US base, such assaults are typically claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Tehran-backed militants.
The ongoing strikes underscore the escalating tension between US forces and Iranian-supported groups in the region.
The groups have been criticized for their recklessness, which led to a regional flare-up in January when a drone strike by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq killed three US troops in a US base in Jordan, close to the one in Al-Tanf.
The breach of several regional and US red lines prompted a response involving a series of US airstrikes across Iraq and Syria.
The risk of escalation became so serious that the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force made a trip to Baghdad to instruct the factions to reduce their attacks, according to Iranian and Iraqi sources who spoke to Reuters.
Following the intervention, there was a temporary cessation of attacks on US forces. However, after a brief period of calm, the focus of the attacks shifted towards Israel.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels say they have attacked the US aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower in the Red Sea, but the US says the claim is false.
A US official told Reuters that the claim by the rebel group is false, and no such attack has been carried out.
On Saturday, the Yemeni Houthi group announced that its forces had launched attacks on the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea and the "Israeli-linked" Transworld Navigator ship in the Arabian Sea.
The exact timing of the attacks was not specified.
According to a statement from the Houthis, the Transworld Navigator was struck directly by a missile.
The group also declared that the operation targeting the Eisenhower had successfully met its objectives, though further details were not provided.
The Houthis' claim comes on the same day as the US Central Command has announced the return of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKE CSG) to the United States.
"After flying over 30,000 hours and sailing more than 55,000 miles, the IKE CSG has shown our dedication to regional stability and safeguarded freedom of navigation across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," the command stated in a tweet on Saturday.
The Houthis have increased their maritime assaults, including the recent sinking of the ship Tutor, marking a new phase in their strategy against international shipping routes since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The attacks began after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called on Muslim nations in early November to blockade Israeli trade in the wake of the Gaza war.
The Houthis claim over 60 targeted attacks on vessels and numerous other missile and drone launches since November, leading to the deaths of four sailors and the capture or sinking of several ships.
Despite Houthi claims of targeting vessels connected to Israel, the US, or Britain, many of the attacked ships reportedly have minimal or no links to the Israel-Hamas war. In response, a US-led airstrike campaign has been targeting Houthi positions since January.
The Biden administration has once again permitted Iran's government to establish absentee ballot stations across the US for the upcoming Iranian presidential election on June 28.
The decision, first reported by the Voice of America, has sparked outrage among critics who view it as legitimizing the Islamic Republic’s "authoritarian rule".
Alireza Mahmoudi, an official from the Iranian Foreign Ministry, earlier confirmed plans to set up 30 voting locations, including at venues such as the Iranian Interests Section at the Pakistani embassy in Washington DC and a location in New York.
The move comes despite the US State Department’s acknowledgment that Iran’s elections are "neither free nor fair", as it only allows candidates loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to run.
"Preposterous. The concept of a free and fair election under the Islamic Republic is a fallacy," said Iranian-British activist and actress Nazanin Boniadi.
"While regime opponents are advocating for a boycott, the US inexplicably permits absentee ballots for this farce?" she added in reaction to the Biden administration's decision.
The locations for these ballot stations have raised further concerns. In 2021, several US and British hotel properties and Islamic centers were used as polling stations, though there is no confirmation if these venues will be used again.
Critics, including Cameron Khansarinia, vice president of the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), argue that those participating in and operating these stations should be “publicly shamed” for their role in supporting what many consider a “sham election”.
More than 500 teachers, union activists, and prominent cultural figures in Iran have publicly announced their decision to abstain from voting in the upcoming presidential elections through a joint statement.
In the statement the signatories asserted: "Participation in the elections, even under the assumption of a victory by a reformist candidate, is futile, offering no resolution to ongoing issues. Moreover, it risks bolstering [government's] legitimacy and intensifying suppression of dissent and protest. Therefore, we declare our refusal to partake in the presidential elections."
Six hand-picked insider politicians have been allowed to compete in the presidential vote. The president does not full power over many institutions and in key decisions, which are shaped by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The growing chorus of voices condemning the upcoming June 28 snap presidential election in Iran includes high-profile figures. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has labeled it as a facade orchestrated by an oppressive regime.
From Evin Prison in Tehran, Mohammadi declared on Saturday, “I will not participate in the illegal elections of the oppressive and illegitimate government.”
Iranian female Islamic scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi has separately announced that participating in the upcoming snap presidential elections would bolster the Islamic Republic's legitimacy.
In a statement on her Instagram account on Friday, Vasmaghi asserted, “When voter turnout is low, the ruling factions lose confidence, but high turnout empowers and validates them.”
“I consider the people's vote to be a valuable social and national asset that should not be squandered or used to benefit those responsible for current issues,” she added.
Other political activists and former prisoners, including Hossein Razzagh and Mehdi Mahmoudian, have also declared their intention to abstain from participating in the elections.
Mahmoudian argued that "the possibility of change through the ballot boxes has been stripped from the people."
Political analysts within Iran suggest a potential low voter turnout. Iranian journalist and political activist Abbas Abdi observed that many Iranians are disenchanted with the political system and are unlikely to participate in the snap presidential elections.
In an op-ed in Etemad newspaper, Abdi remarked, "The atmosphere of boycotting the elections has not yet begun to thaw."
Meanwhile, the televised presidential debates, once regarded as the "government's propaganda machine that effectively energized the election," as described by analysts, have shown little to no impact this time.
Recent surveys indicate a notable lack of voter engagement leading up to Iran's June 28 snap presidential election, contrasting sharply with the 2009 elections, in which 85% of eligible voters participated.
Some survey results indicate that a majority of eligible voters most likely will stay away from polling stations.
According to a survey conducted by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA), 73% of respondents reported not watching the first presidential debate on June 17.
This can be attributed partly to the constraints placed on TV hosts and candidates, preventing substantive challenges that could expose corruption within the clerical establishment.
In a Saturday meeting with the judicial branch officials, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated that "The debates of the election candidates should not be a platform for a candidate to gain an advantage over others by uttering statements that please our enemies." He further emphasized, "It is unacceptable to speak in ways that favor the enemy." In Khamenei's political jargon, enemies are the United States, Israel and their allies.
Furthermore, Iran's Minister of Intelligence had stated that his agency was rigorously monitoring the conduct of presidential candidates and their supporters, cautioning that individuals promoting "subversive" narratives will face legal consequences.
Additionally, the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) had warned presidential candidates, admonishing them against portraying Iran unfavorably in their campaign broadcasts and threatening to prevent such broadcasts from airing.
Over 8,000 oil project workers across more than 60 contracting companies have launched a strike throughout various regions of Iran.
The strike, which began this past Wednesday, was organized by the Council for Organizing Oil Contract-Workers' Protests, demanding changes including wage increases and a more humane work schedule.
In recent years, Iran's oil and gas industry has increasingly substituted regular employees with contract workers, subjecting them to tough working conditions and low wages.
The striking workers are not only challenging their immediate labor conditions but are also advocating for broader reforms in the industry, emphasizing the necessity for improved dormitory conditions and enhanced safety measures in the workplace.
These protests are part of a larger trend of increasing labor unrest in Iran, where workers have been consistently voicing their grievances over delayed wage payments, low wages, arbitrary layoffs, and the negative impacts of privatization policies.
Compounding the tensions, protesting workers have been receiving threatening text messages from supporters of the contractors, a move seen by many as an attempt to suppress the growing dissent, according to Alireza Mirghaffari, a member of the board of the Supreme Council of Labor Associations.
Over the last six years, the value of Iran's national currency, the rial, has plummeted by fifteen times, leading to rampant inflation and widespread poverty among millions of Iranians.
The Canadian government's designation of the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as a terrorist entity provoked diverse reactions from Iranians: the authorities expressed profound outrage, while many citizens welcomed the decision.
Shortly after the announcement, the Canadian Foreign Minister advised against travel to Iran, citing increased risks of arbitrary detention for Canadians.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, did not mince his words, denouncing the move as 'disgusting' and an irresponsible and "provocative continuation of Canada's longstanding policies." Similarly, Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy for International Affairs of Iran's hardliner Judiciary, did not hold back, labeling Canada’s decision as 'hostile' and emphasizing the IRGC's importance for Iran's national security and regional anti-terrorism efforts.
Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador, who represents Canadian interests in Tehran, to protest Ottawa's decision, condemning the move as "unlawful and internationally illegal."
Meanwhile, the Iranian community in Canada rejoiced, having played a pivotal role in pressuring the Canadian government to designate the IRGC, driven notably by families of the victims of flight PS752, which was shot down shortly after departing Tehran's international airport in January 2020.
Hamed Esmaeilion, a Canada-based activist who lost his family aboard flight PS752, told Iran International that designating the Guards sends a supportive message to Iranians worldwide and provides a sense of justice to families of IRGC victims.
Ardeshir Zarezadeh, director of the International Center for Human Rights in Canada, remarked that this is a significant step because "the IRGC, rather than the government, is the principal power" in Iran.
“This move is likely to prompt more countries to add the IRGC to their terror lists, further restricting trade and diminishing IRGC's influence,” Zarezadeh told Iran International.
Numerous Iranians worldwide also voiced their jubilation through voice and video messages to Iran International, urging more countries to follow suit.
The psychological impact on people close to IRGC members was noted by one individual, who pointed out that "even within their own families, the IRGC elements are not respected", and even more so now if they lose the prestige of money and a Canadian visa.
Another described Canada's move as a "turning point," eliciting joy among more Iranians worldwide.
According to another individual, this step “may be the catalyst for European nations to classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on them.”
Despite this, some individuals were content with the move but more pessimistic in their outlook.
A citizen remarked on the "formidable influence of the IRGC", questioning whether the designation as a terrorist organization, despite being a positive step, would bring about substantial change, pointing to Hamid Nouri's release from prison in Sweden, the individual underscored that the IRGC operates akin to a “global mafia, interacting extensively with security institutions worldwide.”
Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian official convicted of war crimes, was exchanged in a prisoner swap between Sweden and the Islamic Republic earlier this month.
Critics denounced the Swedish government's actions as "dangerous". They warned of "far-reaching consequences," asserting that such measures bolster Iran's strategy of diplomatic hostage-taking, resulting in numerous dual nationals being incarcerated in Iran without clarity or resolution.
The designation also sparked international calls for action, especially from Australian senators who have criticized their government for its reluctance to consider listing the IRGC.
Yet, governmental decisions on this matter have been shaped by endeavors to mollify Iran amid its nuclear program, as exemplified in the EU and the UK. Still, they have imposed targeted sanctions against Iran for its destabilizing activities and proliferation of weapons.
