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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Khamenei adviser rumored killed by Israel makes first public appearance at funeral
2025-06-29
If at first Israel doesn’t succeed…
[Rudaw] Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
, was severely injured in Israel’s first wave of strikes. On Saturday he made his first public appearance at a funeral for dozens of people killed in the war with Israel, and he described the moment the room he was in was hit.

Shamkhani said he was asleep in his room when it collapsed under an Israeli strike, leaving him trapped beneath the rubble for three hours. "My whole room collapsed, a lot of debris fell on me," he told state TV. "At first, I thought it was an earthquake."

With limited oxygen, Shamkhani began digging with his foot in an attempt to free himself. "I was taking small, sharp breaths. It wasn’t even a breath," he recalled.

Rescue workers searching for survivors heard him shouting and called out, "He’s here!"

"I wasn’t afraid for a moment. I said I was going to die... I’ve lived my life. Let’s see how long I live," he said.
"We're taking bets"
Shamkhani, a key figure in Iran’s military and political establishment, has held senior roles across both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the regular army.

He served as defense minister from 1997 to 2005 and later as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 2013 to 2023, where he oversaw national security and nuclear diplomacy. Known for bridging reformist and conservative camps, Shamkhani has played a lasting role in shaping Iran’s regional and strategic policies.

He was wrongly reported killed in Israel’s first strikes on Iranian military leadership and nuclear sites on June 13.

"They knew why they targeted me, and I know why they targeted me," Shamkhani said.

On June 21 he posted on social media that he had been injured.

In its operation against Iran, Israel targeted the top echelon of Iran’s military, killing many senior commanders including IRGC commander General Hossein Salami, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri, head of IRGC’s main operational command General Gholam Ali Rashid, and head of the IRGC’s aerospace division General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

"These soldiers, my dear brothers, who were all martyred, were friends, comrades, and fellow soldiers," said Shamkhani. He described them as "the minds and pillars of Iran’s authority" with whom he used to plot strategy.

The commanders were all quickly replaced and Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
began a retaliation campaign that had been pre-planned as a contingency.

"We predicted that we would be attacked, so what happened next was based on the decisions of the Supreme Leader during these meetings. We knew what to do if this happened and we knew what our capabilities were," Shamkhani said.

His interview was done on the sidelines of a large, state funeral ceremony for around 60 people, including military personnel, scientists, and civilians killed in the war with Israel. The event grew massive crowds.

President Masoud Pezeshkian joined brass hats at the funeral, as did Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba.

The conflict brought an end to indirect nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has ruled out the possibility of resuming the talks, though US President Donald Trump
...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania...
 has said he expects they will meet.

Shamkhani said that the US was not negotiating with Iran with the goal of reaching a nuclear deal, but in order to "provoke the internal situation in the country and force them to protest."

Those behind the conflict believed "that with a single action, Iran’s internal situation will be ripe for an uprising," he said, but added that Iranians have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to national illusory sovereignty.

"Now it is our duty to resolve even the smallest disagreement [with the people]," he added.
Related:
Ali Shamkhani 06/27/2025 The 'Resurrection' of Iranian general Qaani: What Damage Israel Has Really Inflicted on Iran
Ali Shamkhani 06/24/2025 In leaked call, Israeli operative tells Iranian general: ‘You have 12 hours to escape’
Ali Shamkhani 06/20/2025 Unconfirmed reports Abdolrahim Mousavi assassinated, Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Force; top Khamenei advisor, Ali Shamkhani said not dead after all

Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
The Israel-Iran war by the numbers, after 12 days of fighting
2025-06-25
[IsraelTimes] 550 missiles, 1,000 drones fired; 31 impacts in populated areas; 28 killed, over 3,000 wounded in Israel; IDF says Iran’s capabilities degraded, nuclear program set back years

With a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
taking effect on Tuesday morning, the full scope of the 12 days of fighting, which started with a surprise Israeli operation against Tehran’s nuclear program, began to emerge.

Two hours into the ceasefire declared by US President Donald Trump
...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania...
, Iran launched two more ballistic missiles at Israel, setting off sirens in northern Israel. Both projectiles were intercepted, and the Israel Defense Forces in response struck an Iranian radar north of Tehran, seemingly ending the conflict.

THE CIVILIAN TOLL
Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel during the 12 days of war claimed the lives of 28 people — all but one of them civilians — and maimed over 3,000 people.

Israel’s Health Ministry said a total of 3,238 people were hospitalized, including 23 who were seriously injured, 111 moderately, 2,933 lightly, 138 who suffered from acute anxiety, and another 30 whose conditions have not been determined.

The vast majority of the casualties were civilians, with the IDF reporting just seven soldiers hurt in one missile impact in central Israel and an off-duty soldier killed in Beersheba.

Israeli authorities have said more than 9,000 people have been displaced from their homes, dozens of which were damaged or destroyed by the Iranian attacks.

MISSILES AND DRONES
Iran launched between some 550 ballistic missiles and around 1,000 drones at Israel during the war, according to the IDF.

Most of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli and American air defenses at an interception rate of around 90 percent, similar to the rate in Iran’s April and October 2024 attacks on Israel.
Also, quietly,Jordanian defenses, as we were recently informed.
At least 31 ballistic missile impacts were reported in populated areas or critical infrastructure sites, including a power station in southern Israel,
…though Grom reported the power was back on line in only thee hours…
an oil refinery in Haifa, and a university in central Israel. Dozens of other missiles struck open areas, without causing significant damage.

The vast majority of the 1,000 drones, which are slower-moving but harder to track, failed to even make it to Israel’s borders.
A few crashed in Iraq, to their annoyance.
Nearly 99% of the drones that had posed a threat to Israel — around 500 — were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force with fighter jets, helicopters, and ground-based air defense systems; the Israeli Navy with missile boats; and the 5114th Spectrum Battalion with electronic warfare means, according to the military.

Just one drone hit a populated area, a home in the northern town of Beit She’an, causing heavy damage but no injuries.

The IDF Home Front Command said it issued over 21,000 alerts to civilians amid the war.

IRAN’S REMAINING CAPABILITIES
Iran at the start of the war was estimated to have some 2,500 ballistic missiles and many thousands of drones, according to the IDF.

The military has estimated that some two-thirds of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, around 250, were destroyed in strikes, along with around 1,000 of the missiles.

This leaves Iran with around 1,000 to 1,500 ballistic missiles, and only around 100 or so launchers, according to IDF estimates.

In terms of Iran’s defenses, the IDF said it achieved aerial superiority over western Iran and Tehran amid the fighting, with over 80 Iranian air defense batteries destroyed.

Iran was unable to shoot down any Israeli fighter jets during the war, despite claims made by Iranian media. However,
a woman is only as old as she admits...
 two Israeli drones were intercepted, the military has confirmed.

The Israeli Air Force carried out over 1,000 sorties during the fighting, with over 600 aerial refueling operations, according to the IDF. Thousands of munitions were dropped on hundreds of targets by IAF fighter jets and drones.

NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Israel said its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program was necessary to prevent the Islamic Theocratic Republic from realizing its plan to destroy the Jewish state.

Iran, which avowedly seeks Israel’s destruction, has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However,
a woman is only as old as she admits...
 it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. Israel said Iran had recently taken steps toward weaponization.

The military said its Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s caused "significant damage" to Iran’s Natanz and Isfahan nuclear enrichment facilities. The US also struck the underground Fordo site with heavy "bunker buster" munitions.

Additionally, dozens of other sites relating to the nuclear program were struck by Israel, including the inactive Arak heavy water reactor, the "headquarters of the SPND nuclear project," a site where Iran kept its "nuclear archive," and several centrifuge production sites.

The exact scope of the damage to the nuclear program remains unclear, but IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Tuesday that "we have set Iran’s nuclear project back by years."

At least 15 top Iranian nuclear scientists, who Israel said were working on a bomb, were also eliminated in strikes.

IRAN’S MILITARY LEADERSHIP
Israel’s opening strikes on Iran on June 13 eliminated some 30 senior Iranian military commanders, according to the IDF. Others were killed over the following days.

The dead included the Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami; Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters (emergency command) chief, Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, along with his replacement Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani.

Within the IRGC, Israeli strikes eliminated the commander of the Guards’ air force, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh; along with the IRGC air force drone unit commander Mohammad-Bagher Taherpour and his replacement Aminpour Joudaki; and IRGC air force air defense unit commander Davoud Shaykhian.

In the IRGC Quds Force, the IDF killed Saeed Izadi, head of the Paleostine Corps, and Behnam Shahriyari, head of the Unit 190 smuggling body.

Hundreds more IRGC soldiers, including numerous members of the Basij internal security body, were killed in Israeli strikes, according to IDF assessments.

Israeli strikes also killed at least 610 civilians in Iran, according to the country’s health ministry.

Its missile stock is depleted, but Iran’s arsenal may still be a threat

[IsraelTimes] Experts say it will take years for Tehran to replenish its missile supplies, but it can still terrorize Israel and others with cluster warheads and short-range rockets.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Israeli strikes hollowed out Iran’s leadership, but IRGC will remain dominant force
2025-06-25
[IsraelTimes] By targeting top military figures, Israel delivered a symbolic and strategic blow, though experts warn that regime may now ‘move in a much more hard-line direction’ under the Guards

Hours before the sun rose on June 13, nearly 200 Israeli fighter jets roared into Iranian airspace, while Mosssd
...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end...
 operatives on the ground released attack drones from secret bases.

The surprise Israeli strikes hit key Iranian nuclear sites as well as ballistic missile stores, which represented twin threats that Israel saw as existential. But its highly coordinated, precise attack didn’t only focus on Iran’s hardware.

Israel also spent years tracking the key figures at the top of the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s command structure and in the opening hours of the campaign, it assassinated many of them — some in their apartments, others reportedly lured to an underground command center.

Those killed on day one included the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, and the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the military’s central headquarters, the IRGC Aerospace Force and the IRGC air defenses.

It was a brutal blow to Iran’s ability to conduct its nuclear, ballistic missile, and proxy efforts, but for the Islamic Theocratic Republic, these leaders fulfilled a role beyond their military responsibilities. They also made up a veteran core of the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s leadership, a tight cadre of dedicated believers aroun Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
 who forged their ties in the Iran-Iraq War.

Israeli strikes in the subsequent days took out IRGC intelligence chiefs and other top military commanders. "These architects of terrorism are officially done terrorizing the world," the IDF declared six days into the campaign, sharing a video naming 11 military officials it had taken out.



Though a US-brokered ceasefire may mean that the dust is settling on the 12-day conflict, Iran now faces critical decisions about not only the future of its nuclear and missile programs, but also about its leadership, with far-reaching implications for the regime and the wider region.

‘PRAETORIAN GUARD’
Before rising to the top of the Islamic Republic, the men Israel assassinated fought in its first war.

Most of the regime’s senior leader, including those killed by Israel, emerged from the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, which broke out after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and shaped Iran’s security doctrine.

“Almost everybody who is anybody in the Islamic Republic’s political or military apparatus today cut their teeth in the Iran-Iraq war,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

During the brutal eight-year conflict, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded Iran to seize disputed territory and defeat the nascent Islamic Republic. The war devolved into trench warfare, missile strikes on civilians, and large-scale chemical weapon attacks, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and immense economic devastation in Iran.

That experience instilled a doctrine of “over-obsessive deterrence” against foreign adversaries, said Ben Taleblu, which over time formed into the five pillars of “the Iranian threat” — ballistic missiles, drones, nuclear development, maritime aggression and transnational terrorism.

Iran overtly ties its military ambitions to the legacy of the Iran–Iraq War. At a military parade in Tehran in September 2023 marking the conflict’s anniversary, Iran unveiled what it claimed was “the longest-range drone in the world,” alongside banners threatening Israel. The display came just weeks before Iran-backed Hamas launched its unprecedented October 7, 2023, assault on Israel from Gaza.

Now, just as it has been, the direction and implementation of post-revolution Iran’s security doctrine will in all likelihood remain the domain of the IRGC.

When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took control of Iran in 1979, he needed protection. Not just physically, but protection of the Islamist ideology in whose name he led the revolution.

With up to 190,000 active troops and nearly 600,000 volunteer paramilitary forces, the IRGC “has long been the Praetorian Guard to protect the supreme leader and the theocratic system,” said Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute.

In 2019, the US designated the IRGC, which controls Iran’s missile program, nuclear ambitions and network of proxy forces, a Foreign Terrorist Organization, the first time the label was applied to an entire wing of another government.

While the regular Iranian army is tasked with territorial defense, “the IRGC is about defense of the ideology,” targeting enemies both foreign and domestic, according to Rubin, which is “why America and Europe’s well-meaning belief in Iranian reformers was always so naïve.”

Over time, the IRGC’s reach, particularly its influence over the civilian economy, grew vast enough to rival even Khamenei’s direct authority. While experts debate whether the IRGC exercises its extensive power through or against the regime system, its stranglehold on policy is nearly undisputed.

Under Khamenei, the IRGC evolved into a “state within a state,” said Ali Alfoneh of the Arab Gulf States Institute, acquiring massive influence over national security decisions in exchange for shielding the regime. Its economic empire—including privatized state assets and megaprojects—provided both power and insulation from civilian oversight.

For decades, the IRGC, guided by its revolutionary doctrine, steered Iran to a dominant position in the region. It nurtured an obsessive focus on the Islamic Republic’s sworn enemy, Israel. Iran built up dangerous terror proxies on Israel’s borders, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, while enabling more distant regional allies, Shiite militias in Iraq and Houthis in Yemen, to fully secure its reach.

After Hamas’s October 2023 attack, during which Palestinian terrorists massacred some 1,200 people and abducted 251 in the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Israel abandoned its decades-long strategy of containment and began targeting the axis led by the IRGC head-on.

Beginning with Israel’s direct strikes on Iran last year and reaching a climax on June 13, “Israel had a clear shot to reset the nature of its strategic competition with the Islamic Republic, and to really deal a crippling blow to the sources of the Islamic Republic’s deterrent power,” Ben Taleblu said.

Iran’s decentralized military structure enabled the IRGC to survive Israeli decapitation strikes, Alfoneh said, but the results are still unclear amid the chaos.

“The same logic that governs Israel’s assassination of terror leaders applies to the targeting of IRGC leadership,” said Rubin. “Their elimination sows panic and paranoia within the upper ranks.”

While some commanders were valued more for ideological purity and others for military skill, two figures—Iran’s chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC Air Force chief Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh—stood out as irreplaceable because of a unique blend of both loyalty and competence, Ben Taleblu added.

Hajizadeh, for instance, was the driving force behind the development of Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Additionally, the regime had spent years legitimizing its rule by promising citizens protection from oppressive foreign powers, making every blow by Israel a direct challenge to this social contract.

Nonetheless, the regime’s survival isn’t necessarily in danger, neither by the military loss nor public sentiment. “Zombie regimes can persist long beyond what wishful thinking in the West might suppose,” Rubin noted.

With the regime’s ability to violently suppress dissent, combined with public fear and years of infiltrating opposition groups, keeps the prospect of internal collapse uncertain. Such suppression efforts have often been carried out by the Basij paramilitary force, linked to the IRGC and targeted by Israel throughout the campaign, including in the hours before the ceasefire took effect.

“Ultimately, what matters is the willingness of those in the IRGC to fire on crowds in the street,” Rubin said.

WHAT COMES NEXT?
Perhaps counterintuitively, Israel’s decapitation of the military and the IRGC may well result in the latter further consolidating its power. Though many mid-level replacements are less competent than their predecessors, institutionally, the Guards will remain dominant.

When considering how Iran will reconstitute its power structure after Israel’s devastating campaign, “one probably can’t pick out personalities, but you can certainly say that the X factor is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” said Ben Taleblu. “Looking ahead, the most important institution in Iran remains the IRGC, even though its leadership has been decimated.”

Effective command and communication within the regime may now be slower, Ben Taleblu added. “If Khamenei is in some bunker somewhere, it’s going to take time for an order to cascade.”

Now that a ceasefire has been declared, that may change.

Israel’s operation has also revived urgent discussions about succession. A clerical committee reportedly accelerated its work last week, focusing on two figures: Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, a hardliner, and Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the regime’s founder. The leadership crisis may push Khamenei to rely more on his son.

“The only real difference between the hardliners and pragmatists is questions of tactics, not ideology,” said Rubin, predicting “a purge among the hardliners as the regime seeks to root out the spies and infiltrators that may or may not exist.”

“Even though the Islamic Revolution rejected hereditary rule, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it make a comeback as Khamenei leans more upon his son, who is perhaps the only person he can any longer trust,” Rubin continued.

Despite its recent setbacks, experts said the regime seems like it will survive the US-Israeli campaign and will likely further sideline pragmatic voices.

“I would say that if the Islamic Republic survives this conflict…they will move in a much more hard-line direction,” said Ben Taleblu, noting that this would constitute “accelerating a trend which was already underway.”

Alfoneh echoed that view, predicting the regime will continue transforming into a military dictatorship, akin to Pakistan, saying he expects a future where “the IRGC distributes the national wealth – or increasingly, poverty – and takes the strategic decisions. The elected civilian leadership will be blamed for all the regime’s shortcomings.”

Though Khamenei remains in hiding, he has survived the fight. With a ceasefire now in place, the Islamic Republic has emerged battered but intact — and seemingly on a road to a more insular, militarized, and uncompromising future.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Israel says killed two Iran Quds Force commanders
2025-06-22
[Rudaw] Israel on Saturday claimed to have killed two commanders in Iran’s elite Quds Force.
With one stone?
“ELIMINATED: Saeed Izadi, a founder of the Iranian regime’s plan to destroy Israel, was eliminated in a precise IDF strike in the area of Qom,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on X.

The IDF said Izadi commanded the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, the elite wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) primarily responsible for foreign operations, and accused him of being “one of the main orchestrators” of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Izadi was sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom over ties to Hamas.

The IDF said Izadi also directed Hamas forces operating in Lebanon.

The IRGC has not confirmed his death.

Tasnim News, which is affiliated with the IRGC, said a 16-year-old student was killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in Qom on Saturday morning. In addition, 22 people were arrested in Qom accused of spying for Israel, according to Tasnim.

The IDF also claimed it killed Behnam Shahriyari, who commanded the Weapons Transfer Unit of the Quds Force, in a precision strike in western Iran.

“Shahriyari was responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East in order to directly advance the Iranian regime’s plan to destroy Israel,” the IDF said.

Shahriyari was also sanctioned by the US and UK. In 2024, he was charged in the US with terrorism and evading sanctions as part of a billion-dollar network selling oil to fund the Quds Force.

His death has also not been confirmed by Iran.

In its operation against Iran, Israel has targeted the top echelon of Iran’s military, killing many senior commanders including IRGC commander General Hossein Salami, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri, head of IRGC’s main operational command General Gholam Ali Rashid, and head of the IRGC’s aerospace division General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Mossad is barely visible. Iran got carried away with fake spies and missed the blow
2025-06-15
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukano

[REGNUM] Iran and Israel continue to trade blows. After yesterday's massive attack on Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, Tehran responded in kind, striking Israeli army command posts (including the Hakirya command complex) and the General Staff. It attacked the nuclear center in Dimona in retaliation for the strike on the enrichment plant in Natanz.

However, another, no less interesting battle was left out of the spotlight. An espionage operation was launched on Iranian territory, which largely predetermined the success of the first stages of the Israeli operation.

FALSE TRAIL
A few weeks ago, an unremarkable piece of news, at first glance, swept through Iranian resources.

Computer specialist Armin Rad (also known by his pseudonym Ayoub Taytiz) was arrested by Iranian counterintelligence on charges of forgery and deception of intelligence services.

Rad, who has worked closely with the Iranian cyber police and the IRGC in recent years and was considered one of the court hackers, came up with a very unusual way to make money.

He created social media accounts that allegedly belonged to émigré opposition forces and groups – the “Organization of the Mujahideen of the Iranian People” and the “Shah’s Assembly of Iran” (“Tondar”) – pumped information out of them and announced successful “hacking” of opponents.

The data pumped out by Rad was sent to counterintelligence and used, among other things, in planning operational activities. Moreover, in his reports he did not skimp on details and particulars: he wrote down conditional addresses and passwords, “revealed” schemes of operations allegedly directed against the Iranian authorities.

Moreover, the absence of arrests “in the wake” of Rad’s revelations was explained simply: the accounts he hacked allegedly belonged exclusively to foreign underground figures, and the agents in Iran used other means of communication.

The “ghost network” was exposed by accident, after Rad “began making frequent revelations” that were not confirmed upon subsequent investigation.

The real damage from disinformation to the Iranian authorities has yet to be calculated. So far, Radu is not charged with the most serious articles of the national criminal code (such as extortion and hooliganism), but the charges may be more serious.

Counterintelligence was deeply hurt by the fact that it had spent so much time hunting for an agent network that never really existed.

Especially in conditions when they had very real opponents operating right next to them (as it turned out a little later), and Rad, willy-nilly, played along with them.

SECRET IMPORT OF WEAPONS
Several months before Operation Lion Force, Israel had deployed several Mossad intelligence teams and army commandos into Iranian territory. Tel Aviv had set them an ambitious task: to “open the skies” for strike aircraft.

In the first phase of the operation, agents smuggled large quantities of specialized weapons designed to disable air and missile defense systems into Iran and dispersed them throughout the country.

Jamming devices were deployed near the positions of Iranian anti-aircraft systems, and launch systems for kamikaze UAVs were installed on vans and SUVs.

To carry out covert operations in some areas of the country, local residents, mainly representatives of ethnic and religious minorities, were additionally recruited.

The result of the sabotage even exceeded the expectations of the Israeli command. The abandoned agents not only managed to remain in the shadows until the start of the operation, but also reached objects whose defenses seemed impossible to overcome.

Thus, the Israelis were able to attack the Aspehbad base, located near the Iranian capital - the very one that housed the advanced ballistic missiles that Iran had only recently put into service.

According to some reports, the same group was involved in “illuminating” the facility where a meeting of high-ranking IRGC officers was held on June 13.

The subsequent strike killed IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, UAV Forces Commander Taher Pour, and Air Defense Commander Daoud Shaykian.

This allowed for some time not only to blind, but also to effectively decapitate Iran's air defense, opening the way for the next waves of Israeli fighters.

HUNTING FOR SABOTEURS
However, the saboteurs apparently failed to exploit their success. Tehran quickly jammed mobile communications and the Internet, making it difficult to control the drones that the saboteurs launched.

Despite the damage suffered during the initial stage of the operation, Iran's air defense allegedly managed to shoot down several Israeli aircraft and take the pilot prisoner. Subsequent Israeli air raids into Iranian airspace took place under conditions of dense barrage fire.

Later, Iranian security forces reported intercepting several suspicious vehicles in different parts of the country. For example, a van with a UAV was stopped near Zanjan, and in Kermanshah, a car registered to a local resident was stopped, in which launch containers were installed.

It is also reported that some of the saboteurs and their accomplices have been captured.
Prove it.
And the arrests continue. Searches and inspections have begun in police departments in border areas, in auto repair shops and at customs - everywhere where Israel could hypothetically have introduced its agents.

Overall, the Iranian secret services were able to contain the attack, albeit not without accompanying losses. Now they are making their move. And the scale is expected to be at least no less than the Israeli operation.

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Israel has resumed its strikes on Iran, targeting the underground Fordow nuclear facility
2025-06-14
See what’s happening in Israel here.
[PUBLISH.TWITTER] [X]

Fires reported at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport
[GEO.TV] Following reports of fresh explosions in Tehran, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency has released footage appearing to show fires blazing at Mehrabad International Airport. Thick plumes of smoke can be seen rising from the site, though the cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

More courtesy of badanov:
'Formal disagreement'
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military field correspondent @epoddubny

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The idea of ​​carrying out an operation aimed simultaneously against Iran's missile and nuclear programs, which Netanyahu called existential threats to Israel, arose after Iran struck Israel in October 2024 during a new round of escalation between the countries, Axios writes.

The military operation included not only airstrikes, but also the active work of the Mossad, which has its agents in Iran to carry out sabotage, primarily on Iranian air defense facilities.

Axios also notes that even after Donald Trump resumed negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal, Israel continued to prepare for the operation - collecting intelligence, accumulating resources, conducting training. At the same time, Washington could not have been unaware of this.

According to the publication, the United States only pretended to be against Iran's attack. Washington's disagreement was only formal. "We had a clear green light from the United States," one of Axios's sources in the Israeli government said.
According to them, the real purpose of this publicity stunt was to mislead Iran — to create the impression that an attack was not planned and to prevent potential targets from changing their location.

In the first hours after the strikes, the Trump administration seemed to distance itself from the Israeli operation, but now we hear another statement from the owner of the White House — either Iran makes a deal on its nuclear program, or it will be even worse.

Now superimpose this situation on the war in Ukraine and negotiations with the United States, when the United States also declares to gullible listeners in Moscow that it is also against attacks on Russian facilities...

More from Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
Israel attacked Iran. 06/13/2025
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
Early in the morning, Israel attacked Iran.

The use of up to 200 aircraft that dropped up to 330 bombs and missiles was declared.

A number of Iranian nuclear program facilities were hit, including the reactor in Natanz. Several nuclear physicists were killed. The facility in Fordow and the nuclear power plant in Bushehr were not damaged.

Some Iranian military facilities associated with Iran's missile and drone programs were also hit.

In addition, strikes were carried out on the accommodation of high-ranking Iranian officials - among the dead were the Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Bagheri and the commander of the IRGC Salami.

The strike was carried out with the help and support of the United States, which used, among other things, its tanker aircraft and were aware of the targets and time of the strike. Thus, the United States began to actively help Israel repel the retaliatory attack by Iranian drones.

Oil immediately rose in price by 13%.

Iran promised a retaliatory attack in the near future. We are waiting.

Video of the aftermath of the strike here (if you are interested, subscribe)

Rudaw is also liveblogging, though they’re more restrained:
Iran launches new round of missiles at Israel
Iran early Saturday launched a new wave of missiles strikes against Israel from Tehran and Kermanshah, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Ahmad Vahidi,
… previously Iran’s Interior Minister (2021-2024), still member of the Expediency Discernment Council. His resumé includes commanding the IRGC Quds force (1988-?) and Minister of Defense (2009-2013) under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Possibly all that means he is clever enough to go toe to toe with Israel, but at least he won’t be going into the job blind…
the new head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that Iran’s Operation True Promise III will continue “as long as necessary.”

Footage provided by AFP shows one of the Iranian missiles striking a large building in central Tel Aviv.

Iran downs two Israeli jets, captures pilots: Tasnim
Iran’s air defense systems shot down two Israeli F-35 fighter jets and captured two pilots, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported. One of the captured pilots is a woman, according to Tasnim. A large number of smaller aircraft were also destroyed, the news agency added.

Iran fires retaliatory missiles at Israel
Iran’s armed forces have launched retaliatory strikes on Israel, state media IRNA reported. Israeli Defense Forces said Iran fired “dozens” of missiles.

Israeli airstrikes killed 86, injured over 340 in Iran
At least 86 people were killed and over 340 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Iran Friday, including senior military officials and nuclear scientists, according to figures from media and provincial crisis authorities.

In the capital Tehran, 78 people were killed and 329 were injured, according to unofficial figures reported by Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In East Azerbaijan, in northwest Iran, the provincial Crisis Management Office announced that “The number of martyrs of the Zionist regime's attacks on Tabriz has reached eight. The number of injured in this crime is also 12,” according to Fars.

Among those killed in the Israeli strikes were top IRGC officials General Hossein Salami, General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, General Gholam Ali Rashid, and Aerospace Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, along with nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Amir Hossein Faqhi, and Fereydoun Abbasi. Five professors from Shahid Beheshti University were also among the dead.

Civilians are also among the casualties of airstrikes that targeted residential areas.

Trump says Iran should make a deal before ‘nothing left’

Prominent Iraqi cleric Muqtada al Sadr urges Baghdad to stay out of Israel-Iran conflict
Related:
Ahmad Vahidi 01/06/2024 Iran detains 11 suspects in connection with the terrorist attack in Kerman, US sez it’s ISIS-Khorason
Ahmad Vahidi 10/26/2023 Daily Evacuation Brief October 25-26, 2023
Ahmad Vahidi 06/01/2023 Daily Evacuation Brief June 1, 2023 (and key bits from May 27-31)

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards reveal major underground missile complex
2025-03-27
[HodhodYemenNews] The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled on Tuesday an underground “missile city” containing tunnels filled with thousands of precision-guided missiles of various types, including the ‘Khaybarshegan’, ‘Sejjil’, ‘Emad,’ and ‘Haj Qasem.’

Iranian media reported that the new city was unveiled in the presence of Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri and Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

During the event, Major General Bagheri emphasized the rapid development of Iran’s missile capabilities, noting the continued strengthening of defenses and progress beyond the operation known as “True Promise II,” with a significant portion of the planned implementation completed.
The Times of Israel expands:
[X]

Iran’s military chief claims capabilities are now 10 times stronger than thoseused in October missile attack on Israel; several Iranian-made missiles identified in footage

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps revealed one of its underground "missile cities" to Iranian media outlets Wednesday, as tensions with the West boiled over its nuclear program.

An Israeli flag could be seen placed on the ground in the footage at the unveiling — a practice common in the Islamic Theocratic Republic that allows people to trample the flag as an offense against the Jewish state.

Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, and the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, were present in the footage, touring around on vehicles and speaking to personnel at the undisclosed location.

Bagheri told personnel during the tour of the base that "Iran’s iron fist is far stronger than before," and claimed that Tehran was developing its defensive capabilities faster than its rivals, as quoted by Press TV.

"The enemy will definitely fall behind in this balance of power," he said.

"All the [defensive] dimensions that are required for generating a [military] capability that is 10 times [greater than] the one deployed during Operation True Promise II, has been created," Bagheri added, mentioning Iran’s name for its second missile attack on Israel in October.

Iranian media outlets identified several domestically produced missiles in the footage, including the "Emad," a missile with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles); "Sejil" with 1,500-2,500 kilometers (930 to 1,550 miles); "Qadr H" with 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles); "Kheibar Shekan," with 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) and "Haj Qassem," with 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).

Iranian media outlets said the base was new, but such a claim could not be verified.

Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel in April 2024, firing some 300 attack drones and missiles in response to the killing of several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members in an Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
 near Tehran’s consulate in Damascus.

Months later, in October, Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killings of His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...>
 and Ismail Haniyeh
...became Prime Minister of Gaza after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh from office on 14 June 2007 at the height of the Fatah-Hamas festivities, but Haniyeh did not acknowledge the decree and continued as the PM of Gazoo while Abbas maintained a separate PM in the West Bank. Zapped during the 2023-24 war, to eveyone's satisfaction...
, the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
, respectively.

In both instances, the Iranian assaults were largely thwarted by Israel’s air defenses in cooperation with the US and its regional allies. Israel twice bombed Iran in response, the second time destroying much of its air defense systems as well as some rocket and drone manufacturing sites.

Amid growing concern in the West over Iran’s continued nuclear enrichment, US President Donald Trump
...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US...
 sent the Islamic republic’s leadership a letter offering talks for a new nuclear deal earlier this month while restoring a sanctions campaign and threatening military action if diplomacy is unsuccessful.

The letter was delivered to Tehran on March 12 by UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said Monday the door was open for "indirect negotiation" on the matter but dismissed the prospect of direct talks "until there is a change in the other side’s approach toward the Islamic republic."

The top Iranian diplomat said Tehran would not engage in direct talks with Washington under threats so long as Trump maintains his "maximum pressure" policy of economic sanctions.

Iran, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction, denies seeking a nuclear weapon, but it has ramped up its enrichment of uranium up to 60 percent purity, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so, and has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities.
Link


Government Corruption
‘Impeachathon’ Ensnares Growing Number Of ‘Get-Trump’ Judges
2025-03-01
[DailyWire] House Republicans have now unveiled articles of impeachment against three federal judges who have issued rulings against the President Donald Trump
...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons...
’s second-term administration in what has been dubbed an "impeachathon" of "judicial activists."

In a post to X on Thursday, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) revealed an impeachment resolution accusing United States District Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, of "high crimes and misdemeanors" for blocking the Trump administration’s foreign aid pause.

The measure faults Ali for an order that "without merit marginalized the President’s Article II authority, which vests power to conduct foreign policy ... and has further compromised the President’s fiduciary obligation to review federal agencies and programs."

Ogles introduced his resolution after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts granted the Trump administration’s request to put on hold Ali’s order commanding the Executive Branch to pay an estimated $2 billion in foreign assistance funds, per CBS News.

Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) previously introduced articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, an Obama appointee, for restricting Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing a Treasury payment system.

Ogles then unveiled impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge John Bates, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, who ordered health agencies to restore data after Trump acted to stop the government from promoting "gender ideology," The Hill reported.

Judges have been subject to impeachment proceedings over the course of United States history. Some cases have resulted in a guilty verdict and removal from office. It remains to be seen whether this new push will be taken up by the Republican leadership in the House.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) has also said he was drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr., another Obama appointee, who ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze payments for grants and other programs, according to NPR.

Ogles posted a video to X on Thursday in which he provides an update on the "Impeachathon" using a chart of "Known Get-Trump Judicial Activists" that showed the four judges under "Articles Drafted/In Process" and seven others in a "Wanted" section.

"James Madison, Founding Father, warned us about an overactive — a too powerful, quite frankly — a woke judiciary, and we see it coming to pass," Ogles said, adding later he was placing the sign so people would know, "We’re going to hold these judges accountable."



Related:
Andy Ogles 02/28/2025 PEDO Act: Lawmaker moves to protect Epstein files, accuses 'certain FBI agents' of trying to destroy docs
Andy Ogles 01/17/2025 Ex Mayor of Oakland is indicted
Andy Ogles 11/07/2024 Embattled Oakland Dem Mayor Sheng Thao Recalled In Landslide

Link


Government Corruption
Is the End of the Democrats' Lawfare Strategy Against the Trump Admin In Sight?
2025-02-28
[PJMedia] In a major blow to the Democrats
...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy, white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects...
' lawfare strategy to prevent the Trump administration from governing, Chief Justice John Roberts responded to the White House's request for emergency intervention. Roberts blocked a Biden-appointed federal judge's order that around $2 billion in frozen foreign aid funds be released immediately.

The Chief Justice issued an administrative stay on Feb. 27, preserving the status quo while the Supreme Court considers the matter more thoroughly. This temporary action overrides U.S. District Judge Amir Ali's midnight deadline, which would have forced the State Department and USAID to release billions in taxpayer dollars for already completed foreign aid work.

Roberts, who oversees requests for emergency relief arising from cases in the District of Columbia, acted alone in halting the decision from a federal district judge issued Tuesday. The judge, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, gave the State Department and USAID until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to pay its bills to contractors for work that had been completed before Feb. 13. The Trump administration had earlier in the night asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the dispute involving frozen foreign assistance funds.

Roberts gave the State Department and USAID contractors until noon Friday to respond to the Trump administration's request.

This is just the latest example of how Democrats' lawfare strategy against Trump might ultimately backfire spectacularly. Judicial rulings temporarily halting Trump's actions may ultimately serve to advance his broader objectives as they make their way to the Supreme Court.

The Trump administration filed the emergency appeal hours before the deadline, arguing that Judge Ali had overstepped his authority and interfered with the president's obligations to "make appropriate judgments about foreign aid." The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel had declined to stay Judge Ali's order, absurdly claiming his orders "could not be appealed."

Excuse me? When did District Court judges get the final say in such matters?

During a particularly revealing telephone hearing on Feb. 25, Judge Ali couldn't hide his bias against the Trump administration. "I don't know why I can't get a straight answer from you," he complained after Justice Department attorney Indraneel Sur repeatedly avoided his leading questions about fund releases. "I guess I'm not understanding where there is any confusion here. It's clear as day," Ali further insisted, regarding his original order.

Chief Justice Roberts has ordered the challengers to file a response by Friday, with the Supreme Court likely to act soon after — a sign that the Court is poised to nip these endless legal challenges in the bud.
Link


Government Corruption
Supreme Court backs Trump in dispute over USAID funding
2025-02-27
[WashingtonTimes] The Supreme Court delivered a reprieve to President Trump late Wednesday, temporarily blocking a lower-court order that the administration pay nearly $2 billion in foreign assistance grant money by midnight.

The Justice Department had sought a delay, saying the deadline imposed by U.S. District Judge Amir Ali was impossible to meet and trampled on the president’s powers.

But the challengers, led by global health and AIDS groups, said some of them face “extinction” if they don’t get more federal money right now. They also said those relying on them will “face starvation, disease and death.”

The justices, in a brief order, told the health organizations to file a response to the Justice Department’s arguments on Friday.

The case is the second challenge to Mr. Trump’s executive actions to reach the justices, little more than a month after he took office.

This challenge stems from Mr. Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order calling for a large freeze of foreign-assistance money. He said he wanted to conduct a review to ensure the money aligned with his goals.

On Feb. 13 Judge Ali, a Biden appointee, issued a temporary restraining order halting the pause. After more back-and-forth, Judge Ali ruled on Tuesday that the federal government was still recalcitrant in releasing the money and ordered it out the door by the end of Wednesday.

That money was to cover obligations that were already in place before the State Department carried out Mr. Trump’s pause.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers first asked the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to delay the midnight order and, when that failed, rushed to the justices.

Acting Solicitor General Sarah M. Harris said the district court had “moved all the goalposts” by issuing an extraordinary order to pay out the money.

She said the government “is committed to paying legitimate claims.”

But she said the judge’s order would short-circuit the careful scrutiny Mr. Trump wants to deliver.

“As a result, the government faces the possibility of being forced to expend enormous sums of taxpayer dollars without knowing whether those payments are for legitimate expenses,” Ms. Harris argued.
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Unconfirmed Reports claiming that Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces whacked in an Attack near Damascus
2024-08-01
[X]


Related:
Amir Ali Hajizadeh 07/31/2024  Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the Commander of the IRGC Areospace Forces in Syria Rubbed Out too!
Amir Ali Hajizadeh 07/02/2024 Iranian general says itching to carry out another direct missile attack on Israel
Amir Ali Hajizadeh 04/18/2024 Commander of IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh: ''We will respond, 100%''

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the Commander of the IRGC Areospace Forces in Syria Rubbed Out too!
2024-07-31
[Twitter]
Link



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