BTW, and this is the truth, the religious leaders in Qom do not allow Valentine’s Day to be celebrated in Iran. Now, back to the news. “‘Sabotage Attacks’ On Iran’s Gas Pipelines Cause Major Disruptions,” Iran International, 2-14-24. “Hours before the explosions, a leaked document from a cyberattack on the parliament revealed that the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council had predicted such incidents in a letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi in November. The letter warned about gas shortages resulting from imbalance between production and consumption. He cited dangers such as cyber threats, labor strikes, and sabotage in the energy network as potential risks to energy security amid gas shortages in the winter. Since mid-2020, there have been multiple acts of sabotage in Iran targeting nuclear, energy, military and industrial sites. The Iranian government has blamed Israel and, in some cases, armed opposition groups, but it is almost certain that sophisticated operations are conducted by state actors. As acts of sabotage occurred regularly, Khamenei ordered closer coordination between a hodgepodge of intelligence and security outfits in June 2023. Iran’s natural gas production gradually declines due to lack of investments and technology, even though the country has the second largest reserves in the world. Officials have said in the past that the sector needs an investment of at least $40 billion to install larger production platforms, with stronger pumps, in the Persian Gulf, where Iran shares a huge underwater gas field with Qatar.”
“Hackers Leak Details About Iran’s Shadowy Oil Smuggling Network,” Iran International, 2-14-24.
“‘The streets smell like death:’ Iran’s suicide epidemic,” Rudaw, 2-14-24.
Happy Valentine’s Day. “VIDEO: Iran unveils new cruise missile system,” Mehr, 2-14-24.
“U.S. sanctions Iran Central Bank subsidiary for U.S. tech procurement and violating export rules,” AP, 2-14-24.
Insightful interview about Iran from Pahlavi. “Exiled Iranian prince: ‘There are those who believe in death’,” JNS, 2-14-24. The “eye of the octopus,” the Islamic regime in Iran, must be addressed, Reza Pahlavi said.