President Trump is correct to reinstate the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/restricting-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-united-states-from-foreign-terrorists-and-other-national-security-and-public-safety-threats/">travel ban</a> on nations like Iran. It&#8217;s a necessary step to safeguard national security. However, the greatest threat from Tehran isn&#8217;t simply attempting entry — it is already entrenched within our borders.
Sympathizers of the Islamic Republic have established <a href="https://www.hstoday.us/featured/perspective-the-u-s-must-investigate-iranian-regime-networks-inside-the-homeland/">footholds</a> in the United States, holding green cards, naturalized citizenship, or residing under visas granted through academia, government-funded programs, or employment in critical sectors. While most Iranian-Americans actively oppose the regime, a concerning minority continue promoting Tehran’s dangerous agenda — some openly, others clandestinely.
Over the past two decades — including during the Obama-era diplomatic thaw with Tehran — many Iranian nationals, including some with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-princeton-scholar-was-once-a-high-ranking-iranian-official-why-is-he-still-here?author=Aidin+Panahi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=This+Princeton+Scholar+Was+Once+A+High-Ranking+Iranian+Official.+Why+Is+He+Still+Here%3F">regime-linked backgrounds</a>, obtained legal residency or advanced academic placements in the U.S. While most pose no threat, this period coincided with a wave of regime-aligned individuals quietly embedding into American institutions under minimal scrutiny.
These assertions aren’t speculative — they are substantiated by documented public records.
Recent intelligence reports indicate that the Islamic Republic of Iran has gone far beyond covert propaganda. Tehran has been <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/08/donald-trump-iran-assassination-plot-00188498">linked</a> to a plot to assassinate President Trump and has actively funded and <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/08/30/us-news/iran-backs-pro-hamas-protests-at-us-campuses/">promoted</a> antisemitic agitation across the U.S. — including pro-Hamas encampments on university campuses and coordinated protests following October 7. At recent riots in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, individuals have been <a href="https://x.com/Aidin_FreeIran/status/1931929174899339352">seen</a> wearing Hamas and other Islamic terrorist group headbands while waving the Mexican flag — a manufactured coalition of chaos that Tehran helps engineer. These developments are not spontaneous. They reflect a deliberate, externally supported campaign to destabilize American cities, stoke antisemitism, and erode democratic norms.
In 20241, Iranian regime-aligned <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/exclusive-us-confirms-iran-will-run-absentee-ballot-stations-in-us/7666273.html">elections</a> were held on U.S. soil, with polling sites reportedly coordinated by pro-regime organizations embedded in American communities. While such activity is typically framed as cultural engagement, it represented an organized effort by a <a href="https://2017-2021.state.gov/designation-of-the-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps/">hostile</a> foreign regime to normalize its legitimacy abroad. Participation and promotion of such events by green card holders and dual citizens raise questions about foreign influence that deserve closer examination — not dismissal.
Moreover, the situation intensifies when considering documented overlaps between participants in these regime-linked elections and anti-Israel or pro-Hamas activities across America. National security reporting, including coverage by <a href="https://www.meforum.org/meet-kian-kianfar-the-pro-iranian-cement-worker-agitating-for-mullahs-in-massachusetts">Dexter Van Zile</a>, identified individuals in Massachusetts who took part in the elections and were later seen at pro-Hamas demonstrations — a group the U.S. classifies as a terrorist organization. This alignment is unlikely to be accidental; it points to a strategic nexus of anti-American propaganda shaped or inspired by Tehran.
Alarmingly, this infiltration extends beyond propaganda. In 2024, a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/iranian-man-indicted-providing-material-support-foreign-terrorist-organization-resulting">Massachusetts-based engineer</a> holding U.S. permanent residency was federally indicted for illegally exporting drone components to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force — a designated terrorist entity. Those parts were directly implicated in lethal attacks against American military personnel overseas. Notably, this individual maintained active ties with the <a href="https://omidcenter.com/">Omid Islamic Center</a>, a Shi’a congregation in the greater Boston area — a congregation previously <a href="https://www.meforum.org/articles/iranian-regime-hosts-voting-on-u-s-soil">reported</a> to have hosted organizers of Iran’s U.S.-based regime elections. These connections reinforce a broader pattern of deliberate influence networks operating on U.S. soil.
Yet, these publicly known cases represent only a fraction of the potential threat.
<a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/iranian-national-charged-multi-year-hacking-campaign-targeting-us-defense-contractors-and">Concerns</a> are rising among U.S. intelligence and national security professionals regarding a subset of Iranian nationals or dual citizens occupying sensitive roles in critical American industries. These positions often involve access to intellectual property, infrastructure systems, or federally funded research. While most Iranian-Americans are loyal contributors to U.S. progress, a smaller group continues to travel frequently to Iran, raising red flags given Tehran’s well-documented practice of coercing travelers — including asylum seekers — into espionage by threatening their families. These tactics pose serious counterintelligence risks and may be used to collect intelligence or monitor dissident communities within the United States.
If the travel ban genuinely aims to fortify U.S. security, it must be complemented by rigorous internal review. DHS, State Department, and USCIS must urgently reassess past approvals granted to Iranian nationals for indicators of regime affiliation, including:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Participation in regime-sponsored activities.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Travel to or affiliation with sanctioned Iranian institutions.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Associations with organizations known as regime front groups.</li>
</ul>
Individuals with dual nationality who actively propagate Tehran’s anti-American rhetoric, or who regularly return to Iran after asylum claims, must face immediate scrutiny, visa re-evaluation, and potential revocation.
This policy isn&#8217;t about collective punishment or discrimination — it&#8217;s purely about national security. America holds a clear right and fundamental responsibility to ensure those benefiting from its protection are not covertly serving a hostile, terrorist-sponsoring regime. Each visa, security clearance, and federal grant should withstand thorough verification when national security is demonstrably at stake.
Critics will invariably label this as xenophobic, but nothing could be further from reality. This isn’t about ethnicity or nationality; it&#8217;s about allegiance and ideology. Indeed, millions of Iranian-Americans stand firmly against Tehran’s regime, many actively advocating for democracy in Iran. Their voices deserve amplification. Protecting our society from embedded sympathizers of an oppressive regime protects the genuine opposition and strengthens U.S. national security.
For decades, Tehran has adeptly exploited America&#8217;s open society — mosques, student groups, cultural centers — to embed its agents. This soft-power infiltration has succeeded primarily because our security policies failed to adapt accordingly.
President Trump’s renewed travel ban sets a clear, necessary boundary. Now, the boundary must extend inward, addressing those already here. The U.S. government&#8217;s next logical steps must include immediate investigation, rigorous vetting, and decisive action against those who serve the Islamic Republic—regardless of residency or citizenship status.
America’s right and obligation to self-defense includes countering subversive threats posed by the agents of a regime openly committed to America&#8217;s destruction. Defending our homeland means identifying and removing those who embed themselves in our institutions to undermine our democracy and security from within.
* * *
Dr. Aidin Panahi is an Iranian-American research professor, energy expert, and political activist. He is the cofounder of the “From Boston to Iran” initiative and his analyses on security and policy issues have appeared in outlets including The Jerusalem Post, Washington Times, the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, Middle East Forum, Homeland Security Today, and Visegrád24. X: @Aidin_FreeIran
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TOPSHOT-UN-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-IRAN-CONFLICT

Citizens Or Sympathizers? Iran’s Hidden Allies In America

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Foreign Policy

Iran

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

National Security

Opinion

Travel Ban

While global attention has remained fixed on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the threat they pose to international peace, a nationwide strike by tens of thousands of Iranian truck drivers — launched around May 21, 2025 — has signaled deeper unrest brewing inside the country.
Far from faltering under the weight of violent reprisals, judicial intimidation, and empty promises from the clerical regime, the protests swelled, spreading to 140 cities across 30 provinces and inspiring solidarity across diverse sectors. This burgeoning unrest, now encompassing bakers, retirees, teachers, oil workers, nurses, women, and activists, signals a profound challenge to the Islamic Republic’s authority. With its echoes of past uprisings and its potential to galvanize a broader pro-democracy movement, the current wave of labor protests demands urgent international attention and support to amplify the Iranian people’s aspirations for a free and representative government.
The truckers’ strike, which has paralyzed key transit highways, reflects deep-seated grievances rooted in the regime’s economic mismanagement and disregard for its citizens’ livelihoods. The catalyst for this unprecedented action was the government’s plan to restructure diesel subsidies under the guise of combating smuggling — a policy that would devastate truckers’ already precarious incomes. This move mirrors the 2019 decision to hike gasoline prices, which ignited protests in over 200 cities and laid bare the regime’s prioritization of its own power over the needs of ordinary Iranians. That uprising saw the regime unleash lethal force, killing approximately 1,500 protesters in a matter of days, a brutal reminder of its willingness to suppress dissent at all costs.
<div id="attachment_931999" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-931999" class="wp-image-931999 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1782800695-768x576.jpg" alt="11/16/2019 Shiraz, Iran. Protest after authorities raised gasoline prices, across all around the country of Iran. Demonstrators angered by a 200% increase in government-set gasoline prices blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with police after a night of demonstrations punctuated by gunfire. (Photo by Anonymous / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by ANONYMOUS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1782800695-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1782800695-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1782800695.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />11/16/2019 Shiraz, Iran. Protest after authorities raised gasoline prices, across all around the country of Iran. ANONYMOUS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Yet, the current protests reveal a regime wary of repeating such overt bloodshed. While arrests have been reported in cities like Isfahan, Hormozgan, Fars, Kermanshah, Ardabil, and Khuzestan, and the IRGC has deployed convoys to break the strike, there have been few reports of fatalities thus far. This restraint may reflect the regime’s fear of domestic and international backlash or uncertainty about the repressive capacity of institutions like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, as the protests grow — bolstered by statements of solidarity from diverse groups, including child rights advocates and anti-execution activists — the likelihood of escalation looms. The regime’s threats, which vowed to seize fuel cards and impound vehicles, underscore its desperation to quash the movement.
The scope of these protests recalls the 2019 uprising and the even more seismic unrest of September 2022, sparked by the morality police’s killing of Mahsa Amini for allegedly improper hijab-wearing. That movement, widely regarded as the greatest challenge to the regime since the 1979 revolution, saw millions demand systemic change. Despite its suppression, which claimed hundreds of lives, the 2022 uprising galvanized a network of “Resistance Units” affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48433">leading pro-democracy</a> opposition group. These units, undeterred by the regime’s crackdowns, have continued to organize and are likely a driving force behind the current labor protests. The strike’s expansion to new cities coupled with its cross-sectoral support, suggests a movement on the cusp of transforming into a nationwide pro-democracy uprising.
The regime’s response has been a mix of coercion and hollow promises. Officials like Reza Rostami and parliamentary leaders have pledged to review freight rates, insurance, and fuel issues by June 21, 2025, but truckers have rejected these overtures as ploys to fracture their resolve. Meanwhile, repressive measures intensify: the IRGC has arrested individuals filming strikes in Bandar Imam, and Yazd’s transport authorities have threatened to suspend services for non-compliant drivers. Such tactics reveal a regime acutely aware of the strike’s threat to Iran’s road-based supply chain, which, as the state-run Donya-ye-Eqtesad noted on May 29, 2025, is “the lifeblood of production” in an economy where over 90% of goods are transported by road.
This moment is a clarion call for the international community to act decisively. The 2022 uprising was a missed opportunity, as the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and others criticized Western democracies for their tepid response. Explicit public support from the United States, Britain, and the European Union, coupled with maximal economic and diplomatic pressure on the regime, could have tipped the scales toward regime change. Today, the same opportunity beckons. The Iranian people, led by workers and bolstered by the MEK’s Resistance Units, are voicing a universal demand for a government that rules by consent and serves its citizens’ needs. The international community must not repeat past mistakes. By recognizing the Iranian people’s right to resist tyranny and by amplifying their call for democracy, global leaders can empower this movement to achieve a historic victory — a free, democratic Iran that reflects the aspirations of its entire population.
* * *
Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut and Dean of the College of Engineering from 2012 to 2024, is an expert on Iran and the Middle East. He has contributed widely through scholarly articles, invited talks, and media interviews on regional affairs and the democratic movement in Iran.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Truck waiting to cross from Turkey into Iran at border to Bazargan.

From Fuel To Freedom: Iranian Truckers Lead Wave Of Labor Strikes In Islamic Republic

Democracy

Iran Nuclear Deal

Middle East

Protests

Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), seized an Israeli-linked ship on Saturday near the Strait of Hormuz.
Video published on social media showed IRGC commandos rappelling from a helicopter onto the the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries container ship.
The ship is linked to Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iran-special-forces-seize-ship-israel-strait-hormuz-irgc-red-sea-rcna147689">reported</a>. The U.K.-based shipping company MSC, which manages and operates the ship, confirmed the hijacking in a statement, saying that the vessel was “boarded by Iranian authorities via helicopter” and that 25 crew members were on board.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEW</a>: Video of the hijacking of the MSC Aries by the IRGC <a href="https://t.co/AlANlpbAYM">pic.twitter.com/AlANlpbAYM</a>
&mdash; Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelh992/status/1779091223073927484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have seized a Portuguese civilian cargo ship, belonging to an EU member, claiming Israeli ownership,&#8221; Israel Katz, Israel&#8217;s foreign minister, <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel_katz/status/1779110154300002423" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. &#8220;The Ayatollah regime of @khamenei_ir is a criminal regime that supports Hamas&#8217; crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law.&#8221;
&#8220;I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now,&#8221; he added.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman is located between the tip of Oman and southern Iran.
This is the second major ship that has been hijacked in the region over the last several months in the wake of Hamas&#8217; October 7 terrorist attack against Israel.
In November, Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists from Yemen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-footage-released-of-houthi-terrorists-capturing-cargo-ship-in-red-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hijacked</a> the 620-foot Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea when they boarded the ship via helicopter.
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The ship was “illegally boarded by military personnel via a helicopter”, the Galaxy Leader’s owner said. “All communications were subsequently lost with the vessel.”
“The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at the time. “We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and U.N. partners as to appropriate next steps.”
The Houthis still have the ship in their possession.

MSC Aries

Iran’s IRGC Seizes Israeli-Linked Ship Near Strait Of Hormuz

Israel

Former U.S. Military officials and foreign policy experts slammed President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> on Friday after he authorized a series of strikes against Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the Middle East in response to three U.S. soldiers being killed last weekend.
The strikes come after the Biden administration has repeatedly telegraphed its plans to Iran over the last several days, including general details about when the strikes would likely start, where they would occur, and what they would target.
“U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. “The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.”
Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg responded to Biden&#8217;s response by saying that he was &#8220;not impressed at all.&#8221;
Kellogg said that U.S. forces have numerous target packages put together every day for the administration to consider and Biden took days to make a decision while warning Iran that the U.S. was coming, thus allowing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders to safely escape.
&#8220;Iran doesn&#8217;t [want the U.S. to escalate] because Iran knows what we could do to them if we really went after them full scope militarily,&#8221; Kellogg said. &#8220;Fordow, their military facility that&#8217;s enriching uranium, that could be gone, there&#8217;s key leadership could be gone. The Iranian Navy gone, refineries gone, we can reduce Iran to a second and third level country, if we wanted to. They know that. And you have to make that threat from us, after they start the fight, credible.&#8221;
&#8220;And I think what they&#8217;re saying right now, is the Americans are afraid of escalation, they are risk averse to escalation, they&#8217;ve got leadership and advisors that are adverse to escalation,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Instead of just the opposite, instead of them going, I&#8217;m going 40 levels deep in a bunker because I know the Americans are coming after me. And the only way you&#8217;re going to establish some credibility is to establish a deterrence model that they stop doing this. And it&#8217;s going to be hard.&#8221;
Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President of Research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said: &#8220;Just so folks are clear: hitting Iran-backed targets in Syria is a response on the cheap. Hitting Iran-backed targets in Iraq is more meaningful. Hitting targets in Iran is where it matters most.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just so folks are clear: hitting Iran-backed targets in Syria is a response on the cheap. Hitting Iran-backed targets in Iraq is more meaningful. Hitting targets in Iran is where it matters most.
&mdash; Jonathan Schanzer (@JSchanzer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JSchanzer/status/1753523676975149086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative, told The Daily Wire that Biden&#8217;s weak response was &#8220;shockingly backwards.&#8221;
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&#8220;The number of strikes &#8212; 85 targets &#8212; looks high and significant. But this was shockingly backwards,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The Biden team leaked the time of the attacks and the locations, and after days of delay. There was plenty of time for Iran to move its highest value IRGC commanders and weapons. Rather than eliminating the enemy, it assured him, and even warned him. Rather than make Iran fear the U.S., it gave it reason to mock us. In the days ahead, we’ll learn about the impact of these strikes. Regardless, it’s clear it was less punishing than it could be. And there’s little reason to believe the regime won’t send its proxies to attack U.S. forces again.&#8221;
Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery said in a statement that Biden&#8217;s response was &#8220;a long overdue strike.&#8221;
&#8220;I suspect that the delay in timing will mean most IRGC forces will have packed up their bags and returned to Iran. Even the proxy force numbers may be low,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is a good target package for day one. I hope it is part of a sustained campaign over weeks.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-VOTE-VIRUS-BIDEN

Former U.S. Military Officials, Experts Blast Biden’s Response After U.S. Troops Killed: ‘Not Impressed At All’

Former U.S. Military Officials, Experts Blast Biden's Response After U.S. Troops Killed: 'Not Impressed At All'

Biden Administration

Global Politics

Joe Biden

World

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> and his administration tried to sound tough on Friday after the U.S. Military carried out a series of strikes inside Syria and Iraq in retaliation for Iranian-backed terrorists killing three U.S. soldiers and wounding dozens more in a suicide drone attack last weekend.
The strikes came after the Biden administration repeatedly telegraphed to Iran, through leaks to the media, what its plans were for the strikes so that Iran could have their top personnel from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — a designated terrorist group — safely evacuate ahead of the U.S. response.
&#8220;This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing. The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.&#8221;
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Biden ordered him to &#8220;hold the IRGC and affiliated militias accountable for their attacks on U.S. and Coalition Forces.&#8221;
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&#8220;We do not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else, but the president and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests.&#8221;
Voice of America News reported that a U.S. official said that the goal of the strike was to cause “a major disruption in logistics” for the IRGC and the terrorist groups that it backs.
The targets selected were “critical to their supply chain” the official <a href="https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1753539544094318663" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, adding that the strikes were not intended to target “personnel.”
“We hit what we intended to hit,” the official said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-officially-begins-retaliatory-strikes-against-irans-irgc-terrorist-proxies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Officially Begins Retaliatory Strikes Against Iran’s IRGC, Terrorist Proxies</a>

President Biden Attends Dignified Transfer For Soldiers Killed In Jordan Attack

U.S. Airstrikes Targeted ‘Supply Chain’ Of IRGC, Terrorists: ‘Not For Personnel Purposes’

U.S. Airstrikes Targeted 'Supply Chain' Of IRGC, Terrorists: 'Not For Personnel Purposes'

Executive

The U.S. Military officially began its retaliatory strikes against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran&#8217;s</a> Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the Middle East later on Friday, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command.
The strikes come after the Biden administration has repeatedly telegraphed its plans to Iran over the last several days, including general details about when the strikes would likely start, where they would occur, and what they would target.
&#8220;At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups,&#8221; CENTCOM said in statement. &#8220;U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States.&#8221;
&#8220;The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.&#8221;
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The strikes came in response to Iranian-backed terrorists killing three U.S. soldiers in a suicide drone attack last weekend that resulted in approximately three dozen additional troops being injured.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, said in a statement: &#8220;I will be very interested to receive briefings on whether the telegraphing of these strikes over the past week by the Admin has allowed targets to escape or harden themselves.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s a huge expenditure of precision munitions from increasingly depleted stockpiles that are needed in the Indo-Pacific,&#8221; he added. &#8220;All [because] of a failed Iran policy.&#8221;
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Fourth Of July Military Flyover

U.S. Officially Begins Retaliatory Strikes Against Iran’s IRGC, Terrorist Proxies

U.S. Officially Begins Retaliatory Strikes Against Iran's IRGC, Terrorist Proxies

Terrorism

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced this week new sanctions against officers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps</a> (IRGC) for their efforts to assassinate U.S. government officials.
OFAC sanctioned Majid Dastjani Farahani and Mohammad Mahdi Khanpour Ardestani for having &#8220;recruited individuals for various operations in the United States, to include lethal targeting of current and former U.S. Government officials as revenge for the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani.&#8221;
&#8220;Farahani and Ardestani also recruited individuals for surveillance activities focused on religious sites, businesses, and other facilities in the United States,&#8221; the announcement said. &#8220;Farahani and Ardestani are being designated for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, pursuant to E.O. 13553.&#8221;
The Treasury Department said that Iran was involved with aggressively targeting and stifling opponents and dissenting voices around the world through detention, torture, and assassinations both at home and abroad. The Islamic regime targets everyone from activists and journalists to foreign government officials.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨🚨The Treasury Department announces that Iranian intelligence agents are recruiting assassins to kill current and former U.S. government officials and surveil religious sites and businesses. <a href="https://t.co/4b6y0CYExP">pic.twitter.com/4b6y0CYExP</a>
&mdash; Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) <a href="https://twitter.com/GLNoronha/status/1733244359703740451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A CBS News “60 Minutes” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-k-terrorism-official-theres-a-real-acceleration-by-iran-to-assassinate-enemies-on-foreign-soil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">segment</a> that aired this week reported last month that former Trump administration officials have 24/7 security from federal law enforcement officials because the threats are serious.
Iran reportedly hired a hitman to kidnap or kill former national security adviser John Bolton, who now lives with Secret Service posted outside his home after the administration killed Soleimani, arguably the top military official in Iran who was responsible for a large portion of the terrorism in the region and around the world.
Iran typically tries to hire hitmen who are already a part of criminal enterprises to carry out their assassination plots on foreign soil.
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In the U.S., Iran reportedly hired a private investigator to follow dissident activist Masih Alinejad around, take photographs of her, and document her whereabouts. They initially planned to kidnap her, but when the plot failed, they paid a man $30,000 to attempt to murder her at her home in Brooklyn.
Matt Jukes, head of Counter Terrorism Policing in Britain, said that Iran uses proxies to carry out assassination attempts because they are typically “not being tracked by intelligence or security agencies.”
He said that in the U.K., they have foiled 15 Iranian kidnapping and assassination attempts in the last year.
“I have been involved in national security policing for over 20 years,” he said. “What we’ve seen in the last 18 months is a real acceleration.”

Iran, Pro-government Protest Rally In Tehran

U.S. Sanctions Iranian Officials For Trying To Assassinate U.S. Officials

assassination

The U.S. launched another round of airstrikes against facilities used by Iran and its terrorist proxy in Syria on Sunday night in response to those groups continuing to launch attacks on U.S. throughout the region.
&#8220;U.S. military forces conducted precision strikes today on facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran-affiliated groups in response to continued attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria,&#8221; <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3586509/statement-from-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-additional-us-militar/">said</a> Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. &#8220;The strikes were conducted against a training facility and a safe house near the cities of Abu Kamal and Mayadin, respectively.&#8221;
Senior U.S. defense officials <a href="https://archive.is/nJBab#selection-457.170-457.268">said</a> that approximately 6-7 Iranian-backed terrorists were killed at one of the locations and that &#8220;two hours of secondary explosions [were] seen at second location suggesting large weapons and ammo storage.&#8221;
The strike follows a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-strikes-iranian-military-facilities-in-syria">similar</a> strike the U.S. carried out last week after dozens of U.S. soldiers have sustained brain injuries from rocket and drone attacks launched by Iranian-backed terrorists. There have been an estimated 48 attacks on U.S. forces in recent weeks by the Iranian-backed terrorists and at least 56 U.S. soldiers have been injured.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/us/politics/us-airstrikes-syria.html">reported</a> that Biden has &#8220;rejected more aggressive bombing options proposed by the Pentagon&#8221; to keep U.S. forces safe because he is afraid of &#8220;provoking&#8221; Iran.
The U.S. has shifted multiple assets to the Middle East in recent weeks after Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic terrorist group that is backed by Iran, murdered 1,200 Israelis last month in one of the worst terror attacks in world history.
The U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/defense-secretary-austin-increases-u-s-fire-power-in-middle-east-in-response-to-escalations-by-iran">deployed</a> the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the Central Command area of responsibility late last month in addition to moving the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The U.S. also deployed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries as well as additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region and placed additional forces on “prepare to deploy” orders.

GERMANY-US-EUROPE-NATO-DEFENCE-ARMY

U.S. Strikes Iranian Terrorist Facilities In Syria, Multiple Terrorists Killed: Reports

Hamas

Syria

Iran’s Quds Force, the foreign operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, gave Hamas terrorists specialized combat training in the weeks leading up to their attack on Israel, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-fighters-trained-in-iran-before-oct-7-attacks-e2a8dbb9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>. 
Sources familiar with intelligence related to Hamas’ attack on Israel told the WSJ that at least 500 terrorists with Hamas and Hamas’ ally, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, participated in the training last month. According to the sources, the training exercises were overseen by Quds Force officers, including the head of the Quds Force, Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, who took over following the death of Qasem Soleimani. 
On October 7, more than 1,400 Israeli citizens were brutally slaughtered and hundreds more were kidnapped by Hamas as the terrorists targeted civilians, raping women, murdering infants, and burning houses with entire Israeli families inside of them. Hamas’ inhuman brutality was the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. 
 Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel were also carrying documents that contained instructions on how to make chemical weapons along with elements to make a bomb, according to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who said the Hamas documents are based on a 2003 al Qaeda manual. 
&#8220;We are dealing with ISIS, al Qaeda and Hamas,&#8221; Herzog <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/hamas-terrorists-were-carrying-instructions-on-how-to-make-chemical-weapons-israeli-president-claims-12990547#:~:text=The%20documents%2C%20complete%20with%20diagrams,build%20a%20weapon%20with%20cyanide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Sky News.
While U.S. military officials said they have no indication Hamas received training from Iran before the attack, Israeli officials said Iran “directly assisted” the terrorist attack, adding that the Iranian regime is continuing to help Hamas by providing it with crucial intelligence. 
“Before the war, Iran directly assisted Hamas with money, training and weapons and technological know-how,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli Defense Forces chief spokesman, according to the WSJ. “Even now, Iran is helping Hamas with intelligence.”
Previously The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Iran, along with Hezbollah, plotted Hamas’ attack and gave the terrorist group the green light in an October 2 meeting to launch its assault on Israel. An adviser in the Syrian government and a European official also said Iran was heavily involved in the planning of Hamas’ attack, but senior U.S. officials disputed reports of Iran’s involvement, saying the information they have “does not show a direct connection to the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 as it relates to Iran.” 
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Republicans have condemned Iran and warned of the country escalating the already deadly conflict following Hamas’ attack. GOP politicians have also pointed out that President Joe Biden unfroze $6 billion for Israel’s enemy just weeks before the terrorist attack. 
“Iran is behind this,” said Senator Joni Ernst, who served in the U.S. military for 23 years. “They fund 93% of Hamas’ activities; they fund 100% of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s activities; not to mention Hezbollah and the Houthis. This all goes right back to Iran.”
“But you know what, who else is involved in this?” she asked. “President Biden has been so actively appeasing Iran instead of standing up to them, and I’m telling you, if we lose more Americans, we need to go after Iran. It is incredibly important that we push back against them. We need to be interdicting their oil just as our sanctions call for, we need to refreeze that $6 billion.”
While Iran has denied it had a role in the attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-foreign-minister-meets-with-hamas-leader-after-terror-attack">met</a> with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar a week after Hamas’ terrorist attack, and the two appeared to be in good spirits. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in the days following the attack that Iran was not behind the attack, but at the same time, he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/world/middleeast/iran-israel-hamas-attacks.html">praised</a> the “resourceful and intelligent” designers of the brutal assault.

Esmail Qaani

Hamas Terrorists Received Combat Training From Iran’s Quds Force In Weeks Leading Up To Attack On Israel: Report

Radical Islamic Terror

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Islamic Republic of Iran</a> reportedly gave the green light to Palestinian terrorists last week to launch their broadscale attacks against Israel.
A Hamas official had already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-confirms-it-received-support-from-iran-for-terror-attacks-on-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> that the organization had received support from Iran for the attack, but a new Wall Street Journal report gave more details and confirmed the report with multiple officials.
The publication said that officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been working with Hamas and other Islamic terrorists in planning the attacks, which included firing thousands of rockets and invading Israel by land, sea, and air.
The timeline means that the attacks were planned around the time that the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-reaches-deal-with-iran-to-free-americans-in-exchange-for-iranian-prisoners-6b-in-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> a deal in mid-August to unfreeze $6 billion for Iran, and since money is fungible, Iran could have freed up other budgetary resources to support terrorism, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-confirms-it-received-support-from-iran-for-terror-attacks-on-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the foreign policy experts at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a nonprofit focusing on national security and foreign policy.
The meeting where Iranian officials gave the authorization to carry out the attack was held in Beirut last Monday, the Journal noted. The newspaper confirmed the story with multiple officials in the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups and with a European official and an adviser to the Syrian government. The Biden administration claimed on Sunday that they did not have &#8220;any information&#8221; that the attack was planned by Iran.
The report noted that top Israeli officials have pledged to take out Iran&#8217;s leadership if they determine that Iran was behind the attack, which killed at least 700 Israelis, wounded 2,500+ more, and led to the kidnapping of over 100.
Iran&#8217;s goal is to fund so much terrorism on Israel&#8217;s borders that it overwhelms the country, including &#8220;Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the north and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Gaza&#8221; and Judea and Samaria.
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This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Afghanistan’s President Ghani visits Iran

Iran Greenlit Palestinian Terror Attacks On Israel; Israel Vows To ‘Strike’ Iran’s Leadership: Report

Iran Greenlit Palestinian Terror Attacks On Israel; Israel Vows To 'Strike' Iran's Leadership: Report

Palestinians

U.S. officials transferred over a million seized and forfeited <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iranian</a> rounds of ammunition to Ukrainian armed forces on Monday as the Pentagon warned funding to support Kyiv in its ongoing war with Russia is running low.
“The U.S. is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) officials said in a <a href="https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3547919/seized-and-forfeited-lethal-aid-materiels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
The transfer included approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds obtained over the summer by the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Naval forces with CENTCOM originally seized the munitions, which could <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/04/pentagon-to-send-iranian-weapons-to-ukraine-00119900" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> be fired from AK-47 rifles, last year when Iranian armed forces were transferring the rounds to the Houthis in Yemen. U.S. officials accused the group of violating a United Nations Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions on rebel groups undermining the stability of Yemen.
The Biden administration reportedly has been weighing legal options to send the seized weapons to Ukrainian forces, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/04/politics/us-iran-seized-weapons-ukraine/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CNN.
The outlet noted that the U.S. Navy seized thousands of Iranian rifles and more than one million rounds of ammunition from fishing vessels used to transfer weapons to Yemen. Last January, approximately 3,000 rifles and 23 anti-tank guided missiles were confiscated by U.S. forces.
Naval forces have <a href="https://www.jpost.com/international/internationalrussia-ukraine-war/article-761711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> confiscated weapons, including various missiles, drones, explosives, and rocket fuel, from dhows and speedboats smuggling Iranian arms in recent years.
The move comes after congressional leaders withheld additional aid to Kyiv in the stopgap spending measure passed over the weekend to avert a government shutdown.
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The Pentagon told House and Senate leaders in a <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congress-sent-u-s-munitions-to-ukraine-now-pentagon-is-warning-that-funds-are-too-low-to-replace-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter of concern</a> last week that funding to support Ukraine&#8217;s critical and urgent defense needs to prepare for Russia&#8217;s winter offensive continues to decline.
Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord told House and Senate leaders in the letter that approximately $1.6 billion remains left out of the $25.9 billion in weapons funding for Ukrainian forces. Additionally, McCord said the U.S. has about $5.4 billion left to supply weapons and equipment from its stockpiles.
“We have already been forced to slow down the replenishment of our own forces to hedge against an uncertain funding future,” McCord said in the letter. “Failure to replenish our military services on a timely basis could harm our military’s readiness.”
On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh reportedly confirmed that the financial support would soon run out if Congress does not authorize additional funding.
“We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs for just a little bit longer, but we need Congress to act to ensure there is no disruption in our support,” Singh said.
Since the full-scale war erupted in February 2022, the U.S. has sent Ukraine more than $44 billion in security assistance to meet the nation&#8217;s critical security and defense needs.
President Joe Biden asked Congress last month to approve an additional $24 billion package to Ukraine for military aid and economic, humanitarian, and security assistance for other countries impacted by the war.

Drill of Ukrainian Interior Ministry units in Prypiat

U.S. Sends 1.1 Million Rounds Of Seized Iranian Munitions To Ukraine

US Sends 1.1 Million Rounds Of Seized Iranian Munitions To Ukraine

Pentagon

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

German law enforcement officials reportedly believe that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran&#8217;s</a> Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is a designated terrorist organization by the U.S., is behind a series of attacks on Jewish centers inside the country.
Iran International <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202212319628" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Iran conducts the operations by hiring criminals outside of Iran.
Police have launched a probe investigating a terrorist cell in North Rhine-Westphalia, the report said. At least one of the suspects is believed to have been radicalized a while ago.
German intelligence believes that the IRGC is behind some of the anti-Semitic attacks inside the country, the report said.
Examples of the attacks include a shooting at a synagogue, arson at a synagogue, and other attacks on Jewish houses of worship.
“We’re talking about state terrorism here,” an investigator said in reference to a German-Iranian suspect referred to as Ramin Y.
“Ramin Y. is the founder of the Mönchengladbach branch of the rocker club Hells Angels and is wanted on an international arrest warrant for, among other things, a murder in the rocker milieu,&#8221; German TV Tagesschau reported, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The suspect is “is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at a school that is directly adjacent to the Bochum synagogue,&#8221; the translated German report <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-723869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;He is also said to have tried to persuade another man to carry out an arson attack on the Dortmund synagogue,&#8221; the report added. &#8220;According to Kontraste information, he is said to have threatened the man if he did not cooperate. However, this man revealed himself as a witness to the police.”
German lawmakers have in recent days pushed to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Iran stoked international outrage late last month after an Iranian man who honked the horn of his car to celebrate Iran’s defeat by the United States in the World Cup was reportedly murdered by the despotic regime’s security forces.
According to <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/202211308687" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran International</a>, sources informed the outlet that Mehran Samak was shot in the head by security officials after he and his fiancée were honking their car horn in the wake of Team Iran’s loss.
Hank Berrien contributed to this report.

Germany Training Session In Marbella

Iran’s IRGC Believed To Behind Attacks On Jewish Centers In Germany: Reports

Iran's IRGC Believed To Behind Attacks On Jewish Centers In Germany: Reports

Jewish

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