“Trusted IRGC General Appointed Commander Of Key Base In Iran’s capital,” Radio Farda, June 21, 2020. The former deputy of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization has been appointed as the operational commander of its base in Tehran, tasked to defend the capital. Brig. Gen. Hossein Nejat has replaced Mohammad Kowsari, who was the operational commander of the Sarallah base since June 2017. Interestingly, Nejat was in charge of protecting Supreme Leader Khamenei for almost a decade in the 2000s. The IRGC Intelligence Organization and the Sarallah base are the two most important units of Iran’s security apparatus. While the intelligence unit has increasingly become the main power center persecuting opponents, the Sarallah base goes into action when serious protests takes place in Tehran and its surrounding area. The base and its soldiers are the most important IRGC ground force HQ in Iran consisting of several of its most important units, which protect key institutions and the offices of the government. The base is also tasked with thwarting both foreign and domestic threats against the capital. Officially, Sarallah’s commander is the same as the IRGC commander, however, from an operational standpoint it has a deputy commander who in fact leads its forces on day-to-day basis. Sarallah units have played a major role in suppressing anti-regime protests in Tehran and nearby regions in the past 20 years. The Sarallah command also coordinates other forces of the regime during unrest; such as the regular police, Basij forces, and intelligence units in the capital. See also on this same topic that “Sarallah’s new commander Hossein Nejat, is one of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s most trusted officers. He has previously served for 10 years (2000 – 2010) as the commander of the IRGC’s Vali Amr Unit which is Khamenei’s own special guard. Hossein Nejat, whose real name is Mohammad Hossein Zibaee Nejad, has been serving with the IRGC for 40 years now.” This quote taken from “A New Appointment At IRGC May Signal Concern Over Unrest In Iran,” Morad Vaisibiame, Radio Farda, June 21, 2017.
Happens all the time. “The Iranian judge apparently fell out of a window in the Duke Hotel in Bucharest on Friday.”—a quote from “Iran seeks Romania’s permission to probe fugitive judge’s death,” Xinhua, June 21, 2020.
“Iranian Hijab Protester Speaks Up About Cruelty Of Fugitive Judge,” Maryam Sinaiee, Radio Farda, June 21, 2020.
You learn something every day. 20+ Shiite religious centers in Latin America, and associated with crime, drugs, and terrorism. Not the type of thing that religious students and teachers should be involved with. Here’s the long and informative quote—“An institute directly supervised by the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Al-Mustafa International University (MIU), has in recent years trained an unknown number of Shiite missionaries to promote the faith in Latin America, especially in Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela. Meanwhile, MIU also takes newly converted Shiites to Iran for religious studies and tours in Qom and Mashhad. Qom and Mashhad are home to important Twelver-Shiite seminaries in Iran, respectively. During the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, MIU was singled out as the main factor in spreading the virus. MIU hosts hundreds of Chinese Muslims of Uighur ethnic minority who initially spread the deadly virus in the city of Qom south of the Iranian capital city Tehran. First a medical school dean and later the Sunni Friday Imam of the city of Zahedan, Mawlana Abdol-Hamid announced that the coronavirus had entered Iran through Chinese students linked to MIU. The revelation led to MIU’s denial, accusing the Sunni Friday Prayer Imam of spreading lies. MIU has so far trained 50,000 students from 122 nations. One teacher and advisor at Al-Mustafa, Mohsen Rabbani, served for decades as the Islamic Republic’s top intelligence officer in Latin America and is wanted for his role in the 1994 AMIA terror attack in Buenos Aires, which claimed 85 lives. Rabbani’s top disciple and graduate of Al-Mustafa, Edgardo Ruben Suhail Assad, has established more than twenty Shiite religious centers in Latin America. Al-Mustafa and the Islamic Development Organization closely coordinate their efforts in sending missionaries abroad.” See “Iran Prayer Imam Says ‘Our Missionaries Being Killed’ In Latin America,” Radio Farda, June 21, 2020.
“Bolton reveals type of nuke material Mossad found in Iran,” Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post, June 21, 2020.
Another threat from Iran to attack Saudi Arabia or Bahrain or other states. “Special Aide to the President of the Islamic Parliament of Iran in International Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the comments at a memorial service on Saturday for former secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ramadan Shalah. He further said that “normalization with the Zionist regime will not help the security of Bahrain or Saudi Arabia.” See “Iran warns Arab states not to normalize ties with Israel,” Eden Ronen and Neta Bar, Israel Hayom, June 21, 2020.
“Iran’s regime watched Trump’s Tulsa rally for signs of ‘deal’,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, June 21, 2020.
“And negotiations with European countries should be held with maximum distrust,” he said. See “No Talks with US, Whatsoever: Iran Parliament Speaker,” Iran Front Page, June 21, 2020. IFP is controlled by the Regime.
“Iran is Assisting Turkey and GNA in Libya: So Is The United States,” Benjamin Minick, Modern Diplomacy, June 21, 2020.
Supposedly as of July 4. I wasn’t able to confirm this headline when I saw it today. “Iran Resumes Direct Flights to Manchester,” IFP, June 21, 2020.
Not blackmail, but an improper request that Iran is apparently trying against Canada. “Concerns grow that Iran will use downed Flight 752 to reopen ties with Canada,” Raisa Patel and Ashley Burke, CBC News, June 21, 2020.
“Mossad Iran Snatch Probably Yellowcake,” Zalman Ahnsaf, Hamodia, June 21, 2020.
“IDF chief warns Iran now the ‘most dangerous country’ in Middle East,” Times of Israel, June 21, 2020.
“EU says its arms embargo on Iran to remain in force until 2023,” Tehran Times, June 21, 2020.