A lot of news today.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran is silent for a reason,\u201d<\/a> Israel Hayom, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n Another example of discrimination (and inferiority\/martyrdom complex)baked into society, this time against Arabs instead of Jews.\u00a0 \u201cIran \u2018surprised\u2019 by choice of Arab referee in Asia soccer semifinal against Qatar,\u201d<\/a> Times of Israel, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is part of Iran\u2019s regional armed network?,\u201d<\/a> PBS, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n Iran knows this.\u00a0 \u201cIsrael Privately Estimates as Many as 50 Hostages Could Be Dead,\u201d<\/a> WSJ, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cReport in Sweden: Iran Planned to Kill Jews in the Country Using Agents Disguised as Refugees,\u201d<\/a> Haaretz, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cIran, Russia, China plan joint naval drill in coming weeks to bolster regional security,\u201d<\/a> Times of India, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cIran closer than ever to weaponizing uranium, building nuclear bomb \u2013 report,\u201d<\/a> JPost, 2-6-24.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cA new report from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) is sounding the alarm on Iran\u2019s closeness to going nuclear, upgrading its threat level to \u201cExtreme Danger,\u201d the highest of its six ratings, for the first time since the group began following the Iranian nuclear program in the 1990s.\u00a0 Since 2022, the report says, Iran\u2019s \u2018breakout\u2019 time has been zero\u2014 that is to say, Iran \u201chas more than enough\u2026 highly enriched uranium (HEU) to directly fashion a nuclear explosive.\u201d Uranium itself is not the only component required to fashion a nuclear weapon, though it is by far the hardest to come by. \u201cIf Iran wanted to further enrich its 60 percent enriched uranium up to 90 percent weapon-grade uranium (WGU)… it could do so quickly,\u201d the report says. \u201c[Iran] can break out and produce enough weapon-grade enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in a week,\u201d it goes on, \u201cusing only a fraction of its 60 percent enriched uranium. This breakout could be difficult for inspectors to detect promptly, if Iran took steps to delay inspectors\u2019 access.\u201d Moreover, using its remaining stock of enriched uranium, the country \u201ccould have in total enough weapon-grade uranium for six weapons in one month, and after five months of producing weapon-grade uranium, it could have enough for twelve.\u201d Although manufacturing the delivery system for the weapon itself could take longer, an accelerated program to develop a simple warhead delivered by ship or truck \u201ccould be accomplished in about six months,\u201d signaling Iran\u2019s nuclearization \u201ceither dramatically via an underground nuclear test or stealthily via leaks about its accomplishment.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cHow US airstrikes will and won\u2019t hurt Iran-backed militias,\u201d<\/a> Asia Times, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cIran suspected in plot to kill Swedish Jews \u2013 report,\u201d<\/a> AFP, 2-6-24.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIranian couple posing as Afghani immigrants and reportedly working for IRGC were never charged but were reportedly deported in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIran warns US not to target ship \u2018providing intelligence to Houthis\u2019,\u201d<\/a> Telegraph, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cIran govt welcomes Sudan\u2019s request to restore bilateral relations,\u201d<\/a> Dabanga Sudan, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy Iran is hard to intimidate,\u201d<\/a> Economist, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite U.S. airstrikes, Iran continues to arm its proxies,\u201d<\/a> NBC, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n The problem with Holt\u2019s interview with the UN Ambassador from Iran is that, after the denial, Holt doesn\u2019t present evidence to see, hold, or even rebut the Ambassador.\u00a0 The viewers only hear the blanket denial from Iran, which has been shown in hundreds of cases in the media over the past many years to be contradicted by facts on the ground.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIran is not directing Houthis or other groups to launch attacks, Iran\u2019s U.N. envoy says,\u201d<\/a> NBC, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n And the same for the claim that the Ambassador made equating Iran and its proxies to NATO.\u00a0 Mr. Holt could have quickly said that Art. 5 of the NATO Charter requires that an attack on one is an attack on all, and therefore Iran and its proxies are one.\u00a0 Or he could have said that the U.S. is the main country in NATO, and the others follow its lead–thus, the proxies follow Iran’s lead.\u00a0 This oversight and failure to hold accountable in reporting is a reminder of the coverage of the supposedly modern and normal ski facilities of North Korea, but it was instead using actors and fake ski clothing.\u00a0 (See \u201cInside North Korea: Lester Holt Reports From A Modern Ski Resort | NBC Nightly News,\u201d<\/a> NBC, 1-21-18).\u00a0 \u201cExclusive: Iran’s U.N. ambassador likens ties to militant groups to NATO alliance,\u201d<\/a> NBC, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cIran accelerates cyber ops against Israel from chaotic start,\u201d<\/a> Microsoft Blogs, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n For those claiming that Iran does not control its proxies, and they are really independent groups who are loosely associated with Iran\u2019s general aims (i.e., \u201cIran\u2019s Proxies Aren’t Really Proxies,\u201d<\/a> Time, 12-7-24, by Amal Saad, a lecturer at Cardiff University),\u00a0here\u2019s the most recent news flash, and a destruction of that argument.\u00a0 \u201cIDF revealed over $150 Million transferred from Iran to Hamas,\u201d i24, 2-6-24.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson revealed a significant development regarding the funding of Hamas, stating that more than $150 million was transferred from Iran to the militant group. IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari disclosed this information on Tuesday evening, shedding light on the extent of financial support provided to Hamas by Iran. According to Hagari, the funds were utilized by Hamas to sustain its operations underground, emphasizing the group’s investment in fortifying its infrastructure beneath Gaza. He stated, “They invested this money to survive underground,” highlighting Hamas’ strategic use of financial resources to maintain its capabilities amid ongoing conflicts with Israel. Furthermore, Hagari underscored the global implications of Iran’s support for terrorism, describing it as a pressing concern that extends beyond the Middle East region. He emphasized the IDF’s efforts to share intelligence information with international partners to address this threat and called for verification of the reported financial transactions. The disclosure comes in the wake of recent military operations in Gaza, during which IDF soldiers uncovered significant amounts of cash intended for Hamas. Hagari revealed that IDF personnel located tables detailing payments to Hamas from Tehran between 2014 and 2020, providing further evidence of Iran’s financial backing for the militant group. In addition to the substantial funds transferred from Iran, IDF soldiers discovered bags filled with hundred-shekel bills destined for Hamas, as well as cash envelopes containing tens of thousands of dollars designated for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar himself.\u201d\u00a0 If Hamas (and Sinwar) isn\u2019t a proxy, then they can be sending cash the other way, right?!<\/p>\n See also \u201cImages of the documents published by the IDF suggest the figure is, in total, $154 million provided by Iran to Sinwar [only documented from 2014-2020].\u201d\u00a0 This quote is from \u201cIDF discovers direct links between Iran and Hamas’s Sinwar in Gaza,\u201d<\/a> JPost, 2-6-24.<\/p>\n \u201cDIA report confirms the Huthis\u2019 use of Iranian missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct attacks across the Middle East,\u201d<\/a> DIA Public Affairs, 2-6-24.\u00a0 This means that the Huthis are the people doing the shooting, but the missiles and drones come from Iran, and the orders to attack come from Iran, thus the Huthis are not just a proxy they are the true “middleman” in organized Iranian attacks with Iranian material using an actor who lives outside of Iran.\u00a0 Everything begins and ends with Iran.<\/p>\n