Iraq |
Bomb-laden drones crash near Erbil following wave of attacks on energy sites, Iraq launches security op |
2025-07-19 |
[Rudaw] Two bomb-laden drones crashed in northern and southwestern Erbil on Thursday morning, causing no casualties or material damage, according to the Kurdistan Region’s counterterrorism forces. In a statement posted to Facebook, the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT, reported that "at 10:50 am [local time], a bomb-laden drone crashed" near the village of Surezha in Shamamk subdistrict southwest of Erbil. The statement confirmed that "no human casualties or material damage" were caused. The CTD reported a similar incident earlier the same day in Erbil’s northern Bahrka subdistrict near Jizhnikani village. These incidents follow a string of dronezaps that have targeted key oil and energy infrastructure across the Kurdistan Region since Monday. On Wednesday, the CTD reported drone attacks on two different oil fields in the northern Duhok province on Wednesday. "Between 6:00 and 6:15 am, the DNO oil field in Peshkhabur...was targeted by two explosive-laden drones," the Kurdish counterterrorism forces said, adding that "a third drone targeted the DNO oil field in Tawke at 7:00 am," causing material damage but no injuries. Norwegian energy company DNO confirmed in a statement that operations at both fields have been "temporarily suspended" due to the attacks. Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP), which operates the Sheikhan oil field in southern Duhok, also announced it had temporarily shut down operations on Wednesday as a precautionary measure. A day earlier, a drone attack targeted the Sarsang oil field northwest of Duhok city, operated by the US-based HKN Energy, also prompting a suspension of operations at the facility "until it is secured and a full evaluation is completed." In a Wednesday statement on X, Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of Staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said the Region has lost nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production due to a "spate of drone attacks by criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll." He added that five oil fields, including two operated by US companies, have been targeted so far. The Kurdistan Region’s Presidency, cabinet and natural resources ministry strongly condemned the drone attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region’s vital oil infrastructure. They called on Iraq’s federal government in Baghdad to take urgent action to prevent further attacks and hold those responsible accountable. Responding to a question from Rudaw during a Wednesday press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce censured "these kinds of attacks" as "unacceptable, adding, "We've expressed our dismay and our problem with them." Iraq’s presidency, premiership, and parliament also condemned the attacks on Tuesday. Drone strikes in the Kurdistan Region have increased since the outbreak of a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate that began on June 13 and ended with a US-brokered ceasefire. While no group has grabbed credit for the latest attacks, the Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry in early July accused the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of involvement - a charge dismissed by Baghdad as "unacceptable."d Iraq launches security operation after drone attacks [Rudaw] Iraqi security forces on Friday announced an operation in western Nineveh and Salahaddin provinces to track down those responsible for a spate of drone attacks on oil, military, and civilian sites in the Kurdistan Region. “The recent attacks on oil installations and fields, along with attempts to target military bases and camps, are considered sinful and dangerous acts that undermine all efforts toward Iraq’s stability, reconstruction, and development campaigns,” the military’s Security Media Cell said in a post on X. “Security forces have launched a wide-scale search operation” in response to these attacks, it added. The operation spans the Hatra desert, targeting warehouses, valleys, and caves. “This operation comes in response to critical intelligence aimed at thwarting intentions and attempts to target security units and vital infrastructure in the country,” it said. In the month of July, there have been at least 18 drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region, including on oil fields, Peshmerga bases, a camp for internally displaced persons, and critical infrastructure like airports. The Iraqi operation is being carried out with the coordination of several forces, including the Joint Operations Command, counter-terrorism, and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed the attacks on the PMF, a charge Baghdad has denied. |
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Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
Concern over homegrown Iranian spies prompts Israeli PR campaign to dissuade them |
2025-07-18 |
[IsraelTimes] Warning of ‘Easy Money, Heavy Price,’ National Public Diplomacy Directorate launches advertising effort to dissuade public from taking cash to collude with the enemy Dozens of Israelis have been arrested in recent months on suspicion of spying for Iran, prompting the Israeli government to launch a PR campaign designed to dissuade collusion. Titled "Easy Money, Heavy Price," the campaign, launched on Wednesday, will include ads on radio, websites and social media meant to convince Israelis that spying for the country’s sworn enemy is not worth the costs. "For NIS 5,000, is it worth ruining your family?" asks one of the video campaigns. "Providing information to the enemy is a serious security crime whose punishment is up to life in prison," the ad continues, encouraging anyone receiving such a request to report it to the Israel Police. The campaign launches weeks after Israel waged an aggressive military campaign against Iran’s nuclear sites and was battered by hundreds of Iranian missiles before reaching a ceasefire agreement after 12 days. It also follows a string of recent news of Israelis who have been arrested for conducting espionage activities on Iran’s behalf. The activities have included photographing military and sensitive sites, moving purported weapons within the country and laying the groundwork for liquidation plots, according to authorities. At least one man who was arrested had physically traveled to Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate to meet with his handlers, who wanted him to assassinate to advance an liquidation plot of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the defense minister, or the head of the Shin Bet. The plots have largely preyed on economically vulnerable Israelis with relatively weak social ties. In one high-profile case, police arrested two men in Tiberias in June, who were each promised $60,000 to assassinate a "senior figure." Some watchdogs say the country’s political divisions may also be undercutting pressure not to commit treason against Israel. The PR campaign comes from Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate along with the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service. It aims to "raise awareness of the phenomenon of Israeli citizens cooperating with Iran, carrying out security missions for Iran inside Israel, and thus colluding with the enemy during war," according to a release from the Israeli government’s press office on Wednesday. The Shin Bet said the phenomenon appeared to be driven "most often out of greed for money." Over the past year, Shin Bet and the Israeli police have uncovered more than 25 instances of Israelis being recruited by Iran to carry out various missions, and more than 35 Israelis have been indicted on severe charges, according to the government press office. Officials have said elsewhere that they believe that potentially hundreds of Israelis have been working on behalf of Iran, in an effort that Tehran has accelerated within the past couple of years. |
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Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
Bedouin teacher, IDF soldier latest to be charged with spying for Iran |
2025-07-18 |
[IsraelTimes] Prosecutors say Tahani Abu Samhan filmed jets taking off during Israel’s war last month with Iran; soldier allegedly filmed rocket interceptions, photographed missile impact sites Prosecutors charged two Israeli citizens, a Bedouin teacher and an IDF soldier, with spying for Iran, the police and Shin Bet said in joint statements on Thursday in the latest of a string of cases of Tehran tempting Israelis into performing tasks for payment. According to law enforcement, 33-year-old Tahani Abu Samhan, from the Bedouin village of Abu Queider in the Negev, had been in contact with an Iranian agent for a year, including amid Israel’s recent war against the Islamic Theocratic Republic. She allegedly filmed fighter jets taking off from the southern Nevatim airbase during the war at the behest of her handler, then passed the videos along to the agent. State prosecutors said Abu Samhan was fully aware the person she was in contact with was an Iranian operative, noting that she had used a separate phone to communicate with the agent. Similar to others accused of spying for Iran, Abu Samhan’s handler paid her, according to i24 News. She was reportedly compensated in cash, unlike the majority of recruits who receive payment in cryptocurrency. It is unclear how the money was transferred to her. Police said she was charged in the Beersheba District Court with the offenses of maintaining contact with a foreign agent and passing intelligence to the enemy. Prosecutors requested that the court order her to be detained until the end of legal proceedings against her. In a separate statement, the Shin Bet and police announced that an IDF soldier was also charged with spying on behalf of Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate in return for financial compensation. After being detained recently and following an investigation led by the Shin Bet, the police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit and the Military Police, military prosecutors filed an indictment against the soldier on Thursday. The joint statement said the soldier "knowingly maintained contact with Iranian elements and carried out tasks for them, including transferring footage of interceptions and filming rocket impact sites in Israel." The Shin Bet noted that the information the soldier provided to Iran was not classified and did not come to the soldier as part of his role in the IDF. The agency added that the incident was "especially grave" because the Israeli soldier "maintained contact with the enemy." Military prosecutors charged the soldier with contacting a foreign agent and transmitting information to the enemy. A military court ordered that the soldier remain held until July 22, though his remand is expected to be extended further amid the trial. Over the past two years, Iran has ramped up its efforts to recruit Israelis as spies in exchange for money. In most cases, Israelis are recruited by Iranian handlers online and begin by carrying out small, innocuous tasks that gradually grow into more serious offenses, like intelligence gathering and even liquidation plots. According to the Israel Police, at least 47 suspects involved in 27 separate cases have been arrested since October 7, 2023. Charges have been filed against 40 of them, according to a security official. The only conviction so far has been of an Israeli businessman who was likely targeted rather than recruited randomly, as many of the others appear to have been. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
NBC News claim: Of 3 nuke sites hit by US, only Fordo was badly set back; Trump rejected wider op | |
2025-07-18 | |
[IsraelTimes] US intel assessment cited by NBC News indicates less extensive damage at Natanz and Isfahan; Trump said to have eschewed weeks-long campaign targeting 6 sites NBC News, so they might even have a microscopic hint of truth in their lies/agitprop. I mean, we are talking about the same Earth US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites only caused significant damage to one of them, a new intelligence assessment has reportedly found, and discussions are said to have taken place between Israeli and American officials on the possibility of renewing strikes on the two other locations if Tehran doesn’t agree to talks soon. The US strikes last month set back uranium enrichment activity at the underground Fordo nuclear site by some two years, NBC news reported on Thursday, citing five current and former US officials with knowledge of the intel findings, which have been shared with politicians and officials in allied countries in recent days.
![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate could have the facilities back up and running in months. Two of the current officials told NBC that assessments are ongoing and may change over time, noting that more damage has been identified in the current analysis than in previous ones. According to the report, US President Donald Trump ...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!... had been presented at the time with an option of a much more comprehensive air campaign, which would have continued for weeks and involved hitting six nuclear sites repeatedly, but opted for the more limited strike due to concerns about US involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts. "We were willing to go all the way in our options, but the president did not want to," one of the sources was quoted as saying. The report cited a current and a former official saying the US and Israel have discussed going back in to conduct fresh attacks on Natanz and Isfahan if Tehran continues to avoid negotiations over its nuclear program or there are signs it is trying to rebuild the sites. Responding to the report, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly reiterated Trump’s claim that the attacked sites were "totally obliterated" and that "America and the world are safer, thanks to his decisive action." "The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover," chief Pentagon front man Sean Parnell told NBC. "President Trump was clear and the American people understand: Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz were completely and totally obliterated. There is no doubt about that." The Pentagon said earlier this month that its intelligence suggested the strikes set back the nuclear program as a whole by up to two years. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, raised doubts over the effectiveness of the strikes last month, saying that Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months. Several experts have also cautioned that Iran likely moved a stockpile of near weapons-grade highly enriched uranium out of the deeply buried Fordo site before the strikes and could be hiding it. However, nothing needs reforming like other people's bad habits... US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was unaware of intelligence suggesting Iran had moved it. Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to end the country’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons. Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action. The US operation was massive, involving more than 125 US aircraft, including stealth bombers, fighters, and aerial refueling tankers as well as a guided missile submarine. | |
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Iraq |
Drone targets Duhok oil field operated by US firm |
2025-07-17 |
[Rudaw] An oil field operated by an American company in Duhok province was targeted by an explosive-laden drone for the second time on Wednesday amid increased attacks on Kurdistan Region’s oil sector. The Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT, said in a statement on Facebook that an oil field located in Duhok province’s Shekhan district was struck with an explosive-laden drone at 7:10 pm, local time. "Apart from material damage, there were no casualties," added the CTD. The oil field, operated by the American Hunt Oil, came under another drone attack earlier on Wednesday. Kurdistan Region's natural resources ministry confirmed the attack, adding that the recent attacks on Kurdistan Region's oil sector has caused a "significant material loss." It condemned the attacks and reiterated its call on the federal government to take action to stop these attacks. Several other drone attacks were reported in Duhok province on the same day. Kurdistan Region’s authorities have condemned the repeated drone attacks, urging the federal government in Baghdad to take urgent measures to prevent further attacks and bring those responsible to justice. Drone strikes in the Kurdistan Region have increased since the outbreak of a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate that began on June 13 and ended with a US-brokered ceasefire. While no group has grabbed credit for the latest attacks, the Region’s interior ministry in early July accused the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of involvement - a charge dismissed by Baghdad as "unacceptable." |
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Iraq |
Top Foxtrot gang member arrested in Erbil: Swedish media |
2025-07-17 |
[Rudaw] Ahmed Alaa Fawzi, also known by his gang alias "Dybala" and a key figure in Sweden’s notorious Foxtrot Network, has been apprehended in Erbil, according to Sweden’s national broadcaster SVT. SVT reported that Fawzi, 27, was arrested several weeks ago by local security forces in the Kurdistan Region, though news of his capture has only recently been made public. Rudaw English reached out to Erbil police, but they were not immediately available for a comment. Originally from Baghdad, Fawzi holds only Iraqi citizenship and was denied asylum in Sweden in 2015. Fawzi is internationally wanted by Swedish authorities for allegedly ordering the murder of a father of three in Skurup, a municipality in southern Sweden’s Skane County. Interpol has also issued a Red Notice for his arrest on charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aiding and abetting, and weapons offenses. Prominent Swedish daily Aftonbladet cited Fawzi’s lawyer, Tobias Guldstrand, as noting that he knew of his client’s apprehension "only through the media. I have nothing further I can comment on beyond that at the moment." Widely known by his gang name Dybala, Fawzi reportedly implicated in several investigations linked to contract killings in Sweden. He is believed to be a close associate of Rawa Majid - dubbed "the Kurdish Fox" - who leads the Foxtrot Network. The Foxtrot Network, a dominant force in Sweden’s criminal underworld since the late 2010s, is deeply involved in narcotics trafficking, shootings, bombings, and other In March, the United States sanctioned Majid over his alleged involvement in arms and drug trafficking and for reportedly cooperating with Iran spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate in "attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe." Earlier this month, Ottoman Turkish authorities arrested Ismail Abdo, another Swedish gang leader and former associate of Majid. Abdo, wanted for drug trafficking and Sweden, once celebrated for its low crime rates and robust welfare system, has witnessed a sharp rise in gang-related violence over the past decade. A surge in shootings and bombings, largely fueled by rivalries between criminal networks competing for control of drug markets, has become a pressing national concern. The violence has been exacerbated by social segregation in so-called "vulnerable areas," where gangs increasingly recruit minors - who often face lighter penalties under Swedish law. This trend has shaken public confidence in institutions and prompted the government to push for tougher crime-fighting measures, including broader police powers and harsher sentencing. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Iran seizes foreign tanker for smuggling 2 million liters of fuel, crew arrested |
2025-07-17 |
[IsraelTimes] Chief justice says ship stopped in Gulf of Oman lacked legal documents about its cargo, 17 crew members taken into custody; no details given on name of vessel or flag it was flying A foreign tanker was seized by Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate in the Gulf of Oman for smuggling 2 million liters of fuel, the chief justice of Hormozgan province said on Wednesday, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency. "During the continuous process of monitoring and surveilling suspicious fuel smuggling movements in the Gulf of Oman, officers inspected a foreign tanker due to its lack of legal documents regarding its cargo and seized it on charges of carrying 2 million liters of smuggled fuel," Hormozgan Chief Justice Mojtaba Ghahremani said, according to the report. The judiciary official added that 17 crew members were arrested and that a judicial case was opened at the Jask county prosecutor’s office. There was no additional information regarding the name of the tanker or the flag to which it is registered. Iran, which has some of the world’s lowest fuel prices due to heavy subsidies and the plunge in the value of its national currency, has been fighting rampant fuel smuggling by land to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states. "The actions of fuel smugglers who, in coordination with foreigners, attempt to plunder national wealth will not remain hidden from the judiciary and punishment of perpetrators, if their crimes are proven, will be without leniency," Ghahremani said, according to the report. Authorities are conducting laboratory tests and reviewing documents to verify the cargo’s contents and legality, the report said. The seizure comes months after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intercepted two Tanzanian-flagged tankers allegedly transporting 1.5 million liters of diesel in the Gulf. Those vessels were later transferred to the port of Bushehr for legal proceedings. The vessels, the Sea Ranger and Salama, had 25 foreign crew members, according to Iranian media. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Iran ready to respond to any new attack, says supreme leader |
2025-07-17 |
[GEO.TV] Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate is ready to respond to any renewed military attack, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> said on Wednesday, adding that Tehran was capable of delivering a bigger blow to adversaries than the one it gave during the 12-day Iran-Israel war. "The fact that our nation is ready to face the power of the United States and its dog on a leash, the Zionist regime [Israel], is very praiseworthy," Khamenei said in comments carried by state TV. Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last month, saying that they were part of a programme geared towards developing nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is purely for civilian purposes. "The base attacked by Iran was an extremely sensitive American regional base," Khamenei said in reference to an Iranian missile barrage on Al Udeid base in Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... , adding "an even bigger blow could be inflicted on the US and others." Iran is under pressure to resume nuclear talks with the US as Washington and three major European countries have agreed to set the end of August as the deadline for a deal. If no progress is reached by then, La Belle France's foreign minister warned international sanctions would be reapplied via the United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... snapback mechanism. |
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Arabia | |
Yemen fighters claim seizure of Iranian-supplied Houthi weapons | |
2025-07-17 | |
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... 's exiled government claimed Wednesday they had seized 750 tons of Iranian-supplied missiles and weaponry bound for the country's Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the JewsThey like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... rebels, the latest interdiction of arms in the country's decadelong war allegedly tied to Tehran. For years, the U.S. Navy and other Western naval forces have seized Iranian arms being sent to the Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital since 2014 and have been attacking ships in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas ![]() war. The seizure announced Wednesday, however, marked the first major interdiction conducted by the National Resistance® Force, a group of fighters allied to Tariq Saleh, a nephew of Yemen's late strongman leader former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it. He was eventually tossed from office and the Hadi goverment installed. When the Houthis rebeled he and his multiple son thought he could claw back to power. Then he saw the way the land actually lay and struck out on his own, briefly, until the Houthis caught him at a checkpoint and murdered him. It was all very sad.... ![]() ...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 spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate did not immediately acknowledge the seizure, which the National Resistance® Force said happened in late June. A short video package released by the force appeared to show anti-ship missiles, the same kinds used in the Houthis' recent attacks that sank two ships in the Red Sea, killing at least four people as others remain missing. The footage also appeared to show Iranian-made Type 358 anti-aircraft missiles. The Houthis claim they downed 26 U.S. MQ-9 drones over the past decade of the Yemen war, likely with those missiles. The majority of those losses having been acknowledged by the U.S. military. The footage also appeared to show drone components, warheads and other weapons. The force said it would release a detailed statement in the coming hours. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in sea shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthi rebels despite a United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... arms embargo. | |
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Cyber |
Report claims to expose Iran-backed bots targeting UK that went dark during war |
2025-07-16 |
[IsraelTimes] Cyabra says 1,300 fake profiles reached 200 million people with posts about Brexit, Scottish independence and more, but shifted to pro-Iran messaging after wartime disappearance When Israeli strikes hit 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 spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate on June 13, it wasn’t only nuclear sites and senior Iranian commanders that were taken out: A covert army of bots meddling in British politics went dark, too. That’s according to Cyabra, a Tel Aviv-based disinformation detection company that uncovered the operation. For 16 days, the network — which began operating in May — vanished, according to a Cyabra report published last week. No posts, no replies, no trace of the 1,300 fake profiles that had posed as British users and fueled online debate around Scottish independence, Brexit, and institutional collapse. By that point, the accounts had already reached more than 200 million people through over 3,000 posts, the company said. When the network returned after Iranian communication was restored, its tone had changed. The same AI-generated personas that had previously blended into UK political discourse were now sharing pro-Iranian content and ridiculing Western leaders, according to the report. Cyabra analysts said the 16-day gap offered a rare before-and-after snapshot of direct, time-linked evidence of state-sponsored interference online. "The sudden disruption to Iran’s influence operations capabilities due to their war with Israel exposed the entire operation," said Dan Brahmy, Cyabra’s CEO. "It was like watching state-backed disinformation self-destruct in real time. When Iran paused, so did the bots, revealing the strategy, the propaganda, and the 224 million views their fake campaign had already amassed." According to the report, roughly 26 percent of the 5,083 accounts engaged in Scottish independence conversations on X were fake — "substantially higher than platform norms." Cyabra’s investigation found that many of the accounts recycled existing content, used identical phrasing, and engaged in coordinated bursts of activity. Hashtags like #FreeScotland, #BrexitBetrayal, and #ScottishIndependence were repeatedly deployed to insert state-aligned messaging into organic conversations. Though the accounts mimicked authentic user behavior — retweeting, liking, replying in staggered waves — the scale and uniformity of the network became clear only when it went silent. The fake profiles operated as a self-reinforcing cluster, with bots boosting one another’s posts to simulate grassroots consensus, the report said, and sought to amplify polarizing messages within British political discourse while promoting Iran as a model of unity and resistance. Cyabra’s platform uncovered the network by analyzing "engagement clusters, linguistic patterns and behavioral anomalies," Brahmy told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "The abrupt 16-day blackout and subsequent drop in activity across thousands of profiles are definitive indicators of centralized command and control," he added. NETWORK RETURNS POST-WAR WITH PRO-IRAN MESSAGES After the blackout, the messaging took on an overtly geopolitical tone. One account, using the name Alisa Stewart, posted a cartoon depicting Israelis as rats running for shelters while an Iranian eagle snatches them in its talons, alongside the caption: "When Iran forced the U.S. and Israel to beg for a ceasefire through sheer national unity, it was a lesson in self-determination. Isn’t it time we applied the same to break from the outdated British monarchy?" Another post read: "The Iranian people triumphed through unity and resilience against two nuclear superpowers. Why shouldn’t we follow their example to win our independence from the British monarchy?" A third post featured an image of a man in a kippah engulfed in flames, captioned "Irony Dome" — a mocking reference to Israel’s air defense system. Military officials have suggested that the bot operation may be part of a wider effort involving Russia, a longtime practitioner of digital influence warfare. Speaking to the Daily Mail, former British military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram warned that the campaign bore hallmarks of joint coordination. "The threat is huge," he said. "I believe Russia has coordinated a lot of this. It’s something more than a strong tangible link — Russia and Iran are working together. This could then indicate Russia was heavily involved in Iran’s planning with Hezbollah and Hamas ![]() , and would suggest Russia might be involved in Hamas’s attack into Israel." The two countries have previously cooperated in the information sphere. Following the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel, Iran, Russia and China used state broadcasters and bot networks to amplify pro-Hamas content and undermine the United States and Israel. A FIFTH OF ACCOUNTS CELEBRATING BOULDER FIREBOMBING WERE BOTS According to a November 2023 report in The New York Times ![]() ...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... , one in four accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X posting about the Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppressionand disproportionate response... war during its first month appeared to be fake, with US and Israeli officials saying the disinformation volume was "unprecedented." Cyabra is a for-profit company that counts former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo as a board member and Elon Musk as a former client; he hired Cyabra to analyze bot activity on Twitter before he acquired the platform in 2022. The company recently worked with the Combat Antisemitism Movement, a nonprofit, to analyze social media activity in the wake of the fatal Molotov cocktailing of Israeli-hostage demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, finding that 22% of the antisemitic accounts celebrating the attack were inauthentic, yet they garnered millions of views. |
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Home Front: Politix |
US university heads grilled in Congress about anti-Israel terror support on campus |
2025-07-16 |
[IsraelTimes] Leaders of City University of New York, Georgetown and Berkeley hauled before lawmakers; protesters repeatedly interrupt proceedings with shouts of ‘genocide’ Members of the US Congress grilled the leaders of three universities during a hearing in Washington, DC, on Tuesday — part of a broad Republican-led crackdown on campus antisemitism. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce pressed the leaders of the City University of New York (CUNY), Georgetown University, and the University of Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,, Berkeley, about support for terrorism on their campuses, anti-Israel faculty and discrimination against Jews. The committee has held a series of hearings on campus antisemitism since the Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppressionand disproportionate response... war started, including a 2023 hearing that led to the resignations of Claudine Gay from Harvard and Liz Magill from the University of Pennsylvania, after they dithered about campus policies regarding calls for the genocide of Jews. Tuesday’s hearing did not see any breakout moments like the Ivy League discussions, and the three university leaders did not appear to make any significant gaffes. Some of the incidents brought up at the three-hour hearing, titled "Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology," included a CUNY professor who backed Paleostinian "resistance by any means necessary," a Berkeley instructor who said he "could have been one of those who broke through the siege on October 7," and Jewish students at CUNY who were mocked over the fate of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The university leaders largely condemned The university leaders — Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, the chancellor of the City University of New York; Robert M. Groves, the interim president of Washington, DC’s Georgetown University; and Rich Lyons, the chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley — all defined antisemitism as hatred or discrimination against Jews, and said it was antisemitic to deny Jews the right to self-determination. Rodríguez, under questioning, said that CUNY received 68 complaints of antisemitism in 2024, and 16 since the start of 2025. He said CUNY has disciplined 18 students for antisemitism and 25 for inappropriate conduct during protests in the past two years. Asked if CUNY has antisemitic faculty, Rodríguez said, "We have faculty that might conduct themselves in antisemitic behavior and we have no tolerance for it." He rejected the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign targeting Israel when asked about support for BDS among the CUNY faculty union. The union operates independently from the CUNY administration and has been accused of discrimination by Jewish members. "I have repudiated BDS and I have said that there’s no place for BDS at the City University of New York," Rodríguez said. BDS is barred under New York State law. He refrained from confirming whether union members have been disciplined for antisemitism, if the union president’s support for BDS was problematic, or if the union had an antisemitism problem. The public CUNY system is the largest urban college network in the US, with more than 250,00 students on dozens of campuses around the five boroughs. The system has long grappled with allegations of campus antisemitism and has taken some measures to combat anti-Jewish discrimination. CUNY’s different campuses operate semi-independently, making system-wide changes difficult to enact. New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican, pressed Rodríguez over protesters who taunted Jewish students at Baruch College, part of CUNY. "Where’s Hersh?" the protesters said to the Jews, referring to hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was murdered in captivity shortly before the protest. "Go bring them home. Go back to Brooklyn. All Zionists are terrorists," the protesters said, according to Stefanik. "Those are deplorable statements, and if they’re associated with the event at Baruch, an investigation was done," Rodríguez said. Some CUNY protests take place on public property next to campuses, where CUNY does not have jurisdiction, making enforcement difficult. Rodríguez also said he believed a professor who had said "down with Zionist scum" was no longer employed. He did not confirm if other professors who made antisemitic comments had been disciplined. Democrats ![]() white people, white supremacy, whiteanything 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) Nastyto the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... at the hearing argued the proceedings were part of a Republican crackdown on free speech and academia, and attacked the Trump administration for cutting resources to the Department of Education office that investigates discrimination. Anti-Israel protesters interrupted the hearings at least four times. As Rodríguez spoke, a protester shouted, "Blood on your hands," and, "You are a genocidal war criminal." Lyons was interrupted by a protester shouting, "You’re complicit in the genocide of Paleostinians," and in another outburst, a protester yelled, "Israel is burning children alive." The activists were quickly ejected from the hearing. Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida, told the final protester, "Get out of here, you loser." "I hold you all responsible for this," Fine told the university leaders. "It is that attitude that you have allowed on your campuses that makes people think this is okay." Lyons was asked about Georgetown’s relationship with La Belle Francesca Albanese, a United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... rapporteur for the Paleostinians with a history of antisemitism who was sanctioned this week by the Trump administration. Lyons said Albanese is an affiliated scholar with Georgetown, but is not on the university payroll or present on campus. Lyons acknowledged that the professor’s statement about breaking the "siege" on October 7 was "a celebration of the terrorist attack," but defended an award for the instructor, calling him "a fine scholar." Lyons also refused to commit to transparency on foreign donations from states like Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... . Groves, from Georgetown, did commit to transparency for foreign funding. Groves also said that Jonathan Brown, a professor who last month said he hoped 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 spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate would strike a US military base, had been placed on leave and was no longer the head of Georgetown’s Department of Arabic and Islamic studies. |
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Home Front: WoT |
Either These Guys Were Very, Very Lost, Or They Were Up to No Good |
2025-07-16 |
[PJMedia] After the U.S. strikes on the Iranian nuclear program, there was considerable concern about sleeper cells within the U.S. being activated; now it is clear that they’re not the only threat from 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 spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate that American officials have to be worried about. Are agents of the Islamic Theocratic Republicalso taking advantage of the still-vulnerable northern border? A news item on Tuesday certainly suggested as much. Fox News reported that "a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) front man confirmed Tuesday that five Iranians were arrested while attempting to illegally cross the U.S. northern border with Canada." CBP's Swanton Sector stated that "on July 1, Border Patrol Agents from the Champlain, New York Station, responded to suspicious activity near Mooers Forks, NY. Agents located a minivan occupied by five citizens of Iran and two citizens of Uzbekistan." Swanton, Vt., is a small town just south of the U.S.-Canadian border. It's important not to jump to conclusions. Maybe these guys were really, really lost. Or maybe they were sneaking across the border in search of a better life, ready to do the jobs that Americans aren’t willing to do. It’s also a genuine possibility, however, that they were coming into the United States to try to make good on what by now are repeated threats from the Islamic Theocratic Republicof Iran to assassinate 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... , along with members of his administration. Increasing the suspicious aspect of this incident is the fact that "CBP said that all seven men had been previously arrested for attempting to cross the border illegally." Now, however, because Donald Trump is president rather than Old Joe The Big GuyBiden ![]() brilliant.... ’s autopen, "all seven aliens are detained and awaiting deportation." One hopes that none of them will ever see delightful Swanton ever again. This comes amid concerns that the Islamic Theocratic Republicis bent on avenging the strikes on its nuclear program with strikes of its own inside the U.S. Jonathan Gilliam, a former FBI special agent, explained: "Where these sleeper cells may be is in plain sight. And that's the real terrifying part of this is that putting people in place, as we've seen over the past four years, everyone's scrambling because certain amounts of people could come in here and get in here." Old Joe Biden’s border free-for-all helped bring this situation about, as Gilliam noted: "They could even go to the border and say they [want to] seek asylum, and the Biden administration, instead of putting them into DHS housing or ICE housing and holding them there so they could have their first appearance, to be vetted and whether or not they get asylum," would allow them to walk freely into the country. Despite the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts, many of them are still here. Their gratitude toward the U.S. for taking them in when they were in their hour of need cannot be taken for granted. Back in November 2024, an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps operative, Farhad Shakeri, was indicted for plotting to kill Trump. And in 2021, the Islamic Theocratic Republicmounted an audacious operation to kidnap Masih Alinejad, an Iranian dissident, in New York City and take her back to the Islamic Theocratic Republic, where she would have faced imprisonment, torture, and possibly even judicial murder. Fox noted that the rogue regime in Tehran does this sort of thing in other countries as well: In 2023, "a United Kingdom court found a man guilty of attempting to collect information for terrorist purposes on the London-based Iran International, a media company that is critical of the Iranian regime." And "in recent years, Albania, Belgium, and the Netherlands have all either arrested, convicted, or expelled Iranian government officials implicated in various terrorist plots in their respective territories. Denmark similarly recalled its ambassador from Tehran after learning of an Iran-backed plot to kill an Iranian dissident in that country." |
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