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A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander threatened that Tehran could unleash “asymmetric warfare” on Manhattan, warning that Iran has not yet exhausted its options in the ongoing war.
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made the remarks in an interview translated and published by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Naqdi said Iran has so far fought a “traditional war,” using drones and missiles but has not yet entered what he called “asymmetric warfare.”
“Asymmetric warfare means that we carry out actions, and the enemy does not know where, when, or with what means,” he said. “Even if they realize what is happening, they do not have the means to deal with it.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senior IRGC General Mohammad Reza Naqdi Threatens “Asymmetric War” in Wall Street and Manhattan &#8211; Anywhere, Anytime; Adds: The People Plundering Palestine Should Return to Their Countries if They Want to Save Their Lives &#8211; Otherwise They’ll Be Massacred Like the Jewish Tribe in… <a href="https://t.co/B1ygTlwzFV">pic.twitter.com/B1ygTlwzFV</a>
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) <a href="https://x.com/MEMRIReports/status/2094732913631809908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Naqdi said such tactics could mean “war in Wall Street and Manhattan,” adding that Iran could launch such an attack “at any time” using capabilities it has not yet employed.
“So far the need has not arisen and we managed to run the war and defend ourselves with drones and missiles,” he said. 
In an interview with <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/top-adviser-to-irans-revolutionary-guard-leader-sits-down-for-rare-interview">PBS News</a> last month, Naqdi similarly warned that Iran could target American economic interests if its missile arsenal were depleted.
“I will make this point, and this is more important than missiles,” Naqdi said through an interpreter. “If there comes a day when Iran has no more missiles left, that&#8217;s when we will be even more dangerous for America.”
Asked how Iran could become more dangerous without missiles, Naqdi responded that the United States has “thousands of economic interests throughout the world,” which he claimed could be “easily destroyed.”
At the same time, Naqdi claimed Iran has no immediate shortage of missiles. Asked about reports that Iran had entered the war with between 3,000 and 4,000 missiles, he said the country manufactures more missiles each day than it launches.  

“In a country this vast, we can make them wherever we want,” he said. 
U.S. intelligence estimated in May that Iran retained about 70% of its prewar missile stockpile and roughly 70% of its mobile launchers, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/us/politics/iran-missiles-us-intelligence.html">The New York Times</a>. 
When asked whether production was taking place deep underground, he said Iran uses “various ways to manufacture them securely.”
“Rest assured, even if this war lasts for years, until the last day, Iran’s rockets will be launched,” he added.
Naqdi also rejected the idea that Iran needs a nuclear bomb as a deterrent.
“Our nuclear bomb is the hearts of the people of the world that we won fighting oppression,” he said. He added that “Islamic values and the divine values of the Islamic Revolution are taking over the world.” 
Naqdi said there was “no need for nuclear bombs” or “slaughter,” arguing instead that prolonging the conflict could impose costs on the United States and strengthen Iran’s deterrence.
“We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security,” he said. “One way is to prolong this war until we get to the next term of the presidency and cause attrition, so that if anyone else wants to attack Iran, they will know there is a cost.”
Naqdi also defended Iranian attacks on non-military vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. 
“When you’re in a state of war, any thoroughfare deemed to be a threat, we can control it,” he said. “Anywhere in the world where there is war, this law exists.” 
He said vessels could be carrying supplies for an adversary after leaving an area controlled by Iran.
Asked about the possibility of the United States using a nuclear weapon, Naqdi warned that doing so could trigger attacks against American military installations. 
“The morning after they use a bomb, all of America’s military bases around the world will be occupied,” he said. He argued that the world had changed since World War II and that other countries would not allow such an attack to go unanswered.
Naqdi has held senior positions within the IRGC’s Basij forces and was designated by the U.S. government in 2011 over allegations that he was responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses following Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election.
According to the <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/tg1076">Treasury Department</a>, he was involved in the Basij’s violent response to protests in December 2009, when up to 15 people were killed and hundreds arrested. He had previously headed the Basij intelligence unit, which was involved in interrogations and forced confessions.
Treasury also said Naqdi was involved with the Kahrizak detention center, where at least three demonstrators reportedly died from injuries sustained during detention.
The <a href="https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/brigadier-general-mohammad-reza-naqdi">United Nations</a> designated Naqdi in March 2008, citing his role in evading sanctions, not to mention his involvement in or support for Iran’s proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities and development of nuclear delivery systems. The U.N. removed him from the sanctions list in October 2023 after the sanctions expired, but returned him to the list in September 2025.
The European Union separately <a href="https://www.iranwatch.org/iranian-entities/mohammad-reza-naqdi">listed him</a> in 2008 over links to Iran’s nuclear program and again in 2011 over his crackdown on protestors.

Protests As Trump Starts Massive Strikes, Urging Iranians To Seize Power

Iranian General Threatens To Unleash ‘Asymmetric Warfare’ On Manhattan

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Seventeen members of an Iran-based hacking operation have been <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/17-iranians-charged-conducting-massive-cyber-theft-campaign-behalf-islamic-revolutionary">charged</a> in a massive cyber theft campaign that prosecutors say targeted hundreds of universities and other institutions around the world, stealing more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property in attacks conducted in part on behalf of Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A 14-count superseding indictment unsealed Tuesday in New York describes a campaign that began around 2013 and continued through at least late 2017. Prosecutors say the Mabna Institute targeted more than 100,000 professor accounts and successfully compromised roughly 8,000 of them at 144 U.S. universities and 178 universities in other countries.
Once inside the accounts, the hackers allegedly stole research papers, theses, dissertations, academic journals, and other materials. U.S. universities spent more than $3.4 billion to license and obtain the kind of research and intellectual property taken by the defendants, according to prosecutors.
Nine of the defendants were first charged in 2018. The new filing adds eight more defendants and, according to the Justice Department, reveals a broader network behind the operation.
“[A]t the behest of entities including the IRGC, these defendants hacked into universities and other research institutions worldwide, including the United States, stealing at least 31 terabytes of information and intellectual property of untold value,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said. 
According to the indictment, Gholamreza Rafatnejad and Ehsan Mohammadi founded the Mabna Institute around 2013 “to assist Iranian universities and scientific and research organizations in stealing access to non-Iranian scientific resources.” The company later contracted with a network of hackers for hire to carry out the intrusions.
The hackers allegedly used stolen credentials to access university library systems and moved the stolen academic material to servers outside the United States.
Some of the stolen information was later sold to customers inside Iran through two websites connected to one of the defendants. One site offered the stolen materials directly, while another allowed customers to use compromised professor accounts to access university library systems.
The alleged operation extended beyond universities. Members of the network also compromised employee email accounts at private companies and government offices, with victims including at least 42 U.S. companies, 11 foreign companies, five U.S. federal and state agencies, and two non-governmental organizations. 
Targets included the Department of Labor, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the states of Hawaii and Indiana, the United Nations, and the United Nations Children&#8217;s Fund.
Several of the defendants were also allegedly involved in the 2017 hack of HBO, in which hackers stole proprietary data and attempted to extort the company for roughly $6 million in bitcoin. Behzad Mesri was previously charged in connection with hacking HBO systems.
In other attacks against private companies and government entities, prosecutors say some of the defendants used techniques that caused victims to rack up more than $20 million in investigation and remediation costs. 
The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for any information leading to the location of five of the defendants.

Iran, Pro-government Protest Rally In Tehran

17 Iranian Hackers Charged In Massive U.S. University Cybertheft Scheme

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An Iranian psychologist who publicly urged President Donald Trump to stand by anti-regime protesters has been sentenced to seven months in prison, and his family says authorities tried to force him to record a video insulting Trump and the American people, Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-jails-psychologist-trump-plea-regime-demands-americans-look-stupid-family">reported</a> Saturday.
Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old psychologist and counselor from Borujen who had been living in Tehran, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-jails-psychologist-trump-plea-regime-demands-americans-look-stupid-family">posted</a> an English-language video on January 4. In it he spoke directly to Trump and urged him to act quickly on his pledge to support Iranian protesters. Young Iranians had trusted his words, he said, and those who helped the Iranian people would be remembered.
&#8220;To prove your good intentions to the Iranian people, either do something without saying anything or act very quickly on your words, because many young people trust what you say. And, as you probably know, many things are useless to people who are dead. I assure you that the Iranian nation remembers good deeds well, and they will try to repay their friends in the future.&#8221;
Ten days later, on January 14, Seyedabdollahi was reportedly arrested at his father’s home in Borujen. Plainclothes agents confiscated phones and electronic equipment. He was held in solitary confinement and at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence detention facility in Isfahan. 
A relative told Fox News Digital that the video brought sustained pressure from Iranian security authorities.
“Since that day, he has faced serious pressure from Iranian security authorities. He was arrested twice and subjected to repeated interrogations,” the relative said. “During his detention, he spent extended periods in solitary confinement.” Fox News Digital reported it could not independently verify the relative&#8217;s account of Seyedabdollahi&#8217;s treatment in custody.
He was held for roughly two months before being released on bail in March, <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202608066386">according</a> to Iran International.
Branch One of the Borujen Revolutionary Court convicted him of “engaging in media activities against national security.” He received seven months in prison and a five-year ban from government and public services. He was detained again on July 7 to begin serving the sentence and remains in Borujen Prison.
The Hana Human Rights Organization, a Geneva-registered group that monitors abuse in Iran, <a href="https://hanahr.org/en/news/seyed-ahmad-seyedabdollahi-remains-in-boroujen-prison-as-new-case-opens-on-charge-of-propaganda-against-the-state/#&amp;_intcmp=fnc_world_article_main-content_article-body_6_6">said</a> Seyedabdollahi was denied contact with his family for 17 days after his first arrest and that his family initially did not know where he was being held. Iran International reported that he was denied access to a lawyer of his choosing during his detention and was at times prevented from communicating with his family.
Authorities opened a second case against him in June on a charge translated as “propaganda against the establishment” or “propaganda against the system of the Islamic Republic.” That case remains at the preliminary investigative stage.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital appear to detail the authorities’ investigation and contain references to alleged foreign contacts and financial transactions involving the United States and Israel. Interrogators accused him of connections to the CIA and Mossad and of receiving money for making the video, the relative said.
“They told him you are a member of the CIA and Mossad and you took money from them for this job,” the relative said.
The relative also alleged that authorities pressured Seyedabdollahi to record a second video repudiating his original message and attacking Trump and Americans.
“He did not give in to numerous pressures to publish a clip that contradicted the first video,” the relative said. “He was asked to sexually insult Trump and make the American people look stupid and ignorant so that we could broadcast your clip on the national media.”
The relative said Seyedabdollahi continues to face pressure in prison after refusing the demands. “His situation in Borujen Prison is not good because he has been out of solitary confinement for a few days, but sometimes they take him to solitary confinement under various pretexts,” the relative said. Monitored telephone calls make it difficult for him to speak openly about his treatment.
The five-year prohibition on public and government employment has added to the burden by threatening his ability to work after release.
“You understand the economic conditions of Iran. Now imagine that in this situation someone has been deprived of their social rights, i.e. job and income, and he is imprisoned,” the relative said.
The relative described Seyedabdollahi as a psychologist and popular speaker with a following among young Iranians, and said that during the brief period when he was free, he stayed focused on those who had suffered more in the crackdown, recalling them saying: &#8220;Don&#8217;t feel weak. Our problems are insignificant compared to the thousands of people who have lost their lives.&#8221;
Seyedabdollahi posted his video two days after Trump wrote on Truth Social that if Iran &#8220;shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,&#8221; adding that the U.S. was &#8220;locked and loaded and ready to go.&#8221; On January 13, Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and wrote that &#8220;help is on its way.&#8221;
Iran International reported that the crackdown brought mass arrests. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said in early February that more than 50,000 people had been arrested in the roughly six weeks since protests began.
U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-rights-chief-says-iran-executed-least-56-people-since-march-2026-08-05/">said</a> in an August 5 statement that at least 56 people had been executed on national-security-related charges since March 19, including 27 in cases linked to the January protests. More than 100 others face similar charges and the possibility of execution, Türk said.

Iran Holds Dayslong Funeral For Late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iranian Prisoner Refuses Regime Order To Film Video Trashing Trump

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President Trump In The Situation Room During Strike on Iran

Ending The War In Iran Means Winning, Nothing Less

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Hackers believed to be backed by Iran targeted more than 30 municipal water systems across Minnesota this week, several media outlets reported, appearing to validate months of <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa26-097a">federal warnings</a> that Tehran aimed to disrupt internet-exposed devices controlling operations at U.S. water, wastewater, and energy facilities.
<a href="https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-761869">Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)</a> said a &#8220;coordinated cyberattack&#8221; targeted operational technology on July 26 and 27, triggering the state&#8217;s cybersecurity incident response protocols.
The attack briefly knocked one system offline and disrupted remote sensors at another, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/07/30/us-spy-agencies-suspect-iran-launched-cyberattack-minnesota-water-facilities/">The Washington Post.</a> No drinking water has been reported as unsafe, according to the outlet.
&#8220;Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure require a coordinated, whole-of-government response,&#8221; said John Israel, Minnesota chief information security officer. &#8220;MNIT is working side by side with our partners to share intelligence, support affected communities, and help utilities restore operations safely while strengthening defenses against future attacks.”
Investigators are now probing whether Iranian hackers carried out the attack, but intelligence officials cautioned the assessment remains preliminary as additional forensic evidence is gathered, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-investigating-iran-cyberattack-minnesota-water-systems/">according</a> to CBS News. Officials have not ruled out the possibility that another actor is posing as Iran to inflame tensions amid the U.S. conflict with the regime. 
The FBI is investigating, The Washington Post reported. If Iranian involvement is confirmed, it could mark a serious escalation in Tehran&#8217;s ongoing campaign to target U.S. critical infrastructure. 
“It is not a secret that these things have been taking place since the spring,” Joe Slowik, director of threat research for Dataminr, told the Post. “There have been disruptions in multiple critical infrastructure sectors. It’s a big deal.”
President Trump, however, cast doubt on reports linking Iran to the attack, using a Cabinet meeting at Camp David to dismiss the incident and instead blame Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“I think Minnesota is behind it. Do you know who&#8217;s behind it? Minnesota, because they&#8217;re grossly incompetent. I think the governor&#8217;s behind it,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/2083228500077797797?s=20">said</a>. “I don&#8217;t think there was an Iranian cyber attack. I think that Minnesota ought to get its act together. It&#8217;s one of the worst-run states.” 
&#8220;They like to say, &#8216;Oh, it was Iran.&#8217; Iran should be so lucky. Iran&#8217;s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota,&#8221; the president <a href="https://x.com/disclosetv/status/2083215311315087592?s=20">added</a>.
Nate George, the mayor of Braham, Minnesota, appeared to echo Trump&#8217;s criticism, arguing that misplaced government spending leaves local communities less prepared to defend against cyberattacks.
&#8220;This is exactly why state government must spend taxpayers&#8217; money on the things that matter, not political agenda action items,&#8221; George said. &#8220;That means funding Local Government Aid and providing practical assistance to help communities strengthen cybersecurity, replace aging systems, and protect basic services residents and businesses rely upon.&#8221;
Walz, on the other hand, quickly fired back, arguing that federal cuts made the U.S. vulnerable to such attacks. 
“Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too. This is what modern warfare looks like, and it further illustrates there’s no plan to win a war with Iran,” Walz <a href="https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/2083235434168021219?s=20">said</a> on X. “DOGE took an axe to CISA and left the U.S. exposed to cyber attacks. Thankfully, our experts in Minnesota were able to identify the vulnerability quickly and work with local communities to stop it.”

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America’s Water Supply Was Attacked, And Iran Is The Main Suspect

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Oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel Thursday for the first time since May as markets reacted to a major escalation in the war with Iran. 
Brent crude, the international benchmark, briefly traded above the $100 threshold after Iranian-backed Houthi militants attacked two oil tankers transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. The attacks heightened concerns about global oil shipments as disruptions continued in the Strait of Hormuz. Together, the two waterways handle roughly 30% of the world&#8217;s oil.
Goldman Sachs <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-could-surpass-120-per-barrel-if-disruptions-in-strait-of-hormuz-dont-ease-says-goldman-sachs-047f8f88">warned</a> Brent crude could climb as high as $120 per barrel if disruptions continue in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
President Donald Trump responded Thursday by <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116969243226176328">warning</a> Iran would face dire consequences if the Houthis continued targeting commercial shipping.
Trump said on social media that if the Houthis “do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves.” 
Reuters separately <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-flew-irgc-commanders-missile-gear-yemens-houthis-sources-say-2026-07-23/">reported</a> that Iran earlier this month flew military commanders, advisers, gold, and weapons into neighboring Yemen, citing two Iranian sources who said between 10 and 21 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders were aboard the flight &#8220;to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems.&#8221;
The spike in oil prices also rattled financial markets. The Nasdaq 100 was on <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-23/us-stock-futures-drop-as-traders-focus-on-ai-spending-oil-jumps">pace</a> for its worst day in a month, while the Nasdaq Composite fell <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/live/stock-market-today-thursday-july-23-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-oil-bonds-earnings-084444369.html">2.6%</a>, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.1%, and the S&amp;P 500 lost 1.4%. 
The selloff came despite otherwise encouraging economic news, with initial jobless claims <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/us-weekly-jobless-claims-fall-123957463.html">falling</a> to their lowest level since 1969. 
A sustained rise in crude prices could also complicate the fight against inflation by increasing fuel and transportation costs throughout the economy.
Despite Thursday&#8217;s surge, Goldman Sachs maintained its forecast for Brent crude to average about $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter, citing stronger-than-expected production and weaker demand from China, South Korea, and the Middle East.

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Oil Prices Surge Back Across Dire Milestone After Houthis Enter Iran War

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While the Iranian government is shooting protesters in the streets by the thousands, where is the hue and cry among our college protesting class? Where is it? Why have they gone so silent?
According to reports coming out of Iran, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of Iranians are being killed in the streets by the Iranian regime. The Iranian people are now rising up against the Ayatollah-led regime, their mullah rulers, who have been leading them down a primrose path to both economic and despotic hell for the past 47 years.
Hundreds of thousands of people, apparently overnight, were still in the streets in Iran, braving actual bullets.
For all the people who pat themselves on the back for their bravery online, what actual bravery looks like is walking into the streets, arm in arm, standing up against people with machine guns who are firing live ammunition at you in order to achieve freedom for your people.
A bombshell new <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/iran-protest-death-toll-over-12000-feared-higher-video-bodies-at-morgue/">report</a> from CBS News suggests the Iranian government has murdered somewhere between 12,000 and 20,000 protesters since the ongoing national revolt began.
Meanwhile, there are apparently zero protests on college campuses in favor of the protesters. I have yet to see a major movement of congressional Democrats getting together in solidarity with the Iranian people.
The media coverage until the last couple of days has been scant on what is now a weeks-long, ongoing protest revolt against the regime, which is happening because the Iranian regime is absolutely weak in economic terms. The rial is now trading at a fraction of a penny.
The Iranian economy is running at low ebb because of the maximum sanctions that were placed against the regime by the Trump administration. It is also because of the overwhelming military successes that Israel has experienced since October 7 in cutting off the terror arms of the Iranian regime and of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in places ranging from Iran to Syria to Yemen to Iran itself. That obviously includes the 12-day war that happened last year, in which Iran proved to be a military paper tiger, unable to prevent the Israelis from flying sorties in broad daylight over Tehran and culminating in the American strike against Fordow, the nuclear facility in Iran.
There&#8217;s also a lack of water and power in Iran.
The mullahs, who promised an Islamic utopia, simply delivered an Islamist hell, and the people of Iran are sick of it. They are tired of it.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2346-iran-slaughter-in-the-streets?elementPosition=5&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
This is not the first protest movement in Iran. In 2009, there was a major protest movement that Barack Obama not only ignored, but undercut by negotiating with the Iranian regime, calling them “moderates,” and then trying to bring them into the fold of nations, which, as it turns out, was a horrifyingly bad idea that allowed them to strengthen themselves at the expense of America&#8217;s actual allies in the region.
Then, of course, he signed the 2015 JCPOA, which was designed to allow Iran and the mullahs a pathway to a nuclear bomb. The Trump administration came in, reversed the polarity, and put the pressure on the Iranian regime. Then Joe Biden came in, took his foot off the pedal, and started to talk again about a revived JCPOA.
By October of 2023, the Iranians were helping to spur the October 7 terror attacks in a seven-front terror war against Israel that ended, ironically, with Iran&#8217;s forces being absolutely devastated.
So now people are out in the streets, literally by the millions. And Iran is doing what Iran does best —they turn off the internet for the last several days, no information getting in, no information getting out, and they shoot people in the streets.
At this point, we are talking about a minimum of at least 3000 people who have been murdered on the streets of Iran. The number is probably significantly higher. We have seen pictures emerging of stacks of body bags. We&#8217;ve seen videos emerging of Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces and members of Iranian militias mowing people down.
President Trump is taking a strong position, telling Iranians to keep protesting, take over the institutions, save the names of the killers and abusers.
If the Iranian regime were deposed, that would be a sea change in geopolitics. Iran is a large-scale supplier of oil to China and a large-scale supplier of Shahid drones to Russia. Iran is the chief sponsor of global terrorism on planet Earth, having spread its terror tentacles not only throughout the Middle East, but also into Europe and into Latin America.
If the Iranian regime were to change, that would weaken Hezbollah in Lebanon. You might see an actual decent government with the capacity to destroy Hezbollah. You might see the possibility of an actual, broad Abraham Accord-like agreement between Iran and Israel.
I&#8217;m going to say it for the 100th time: This does not mean that the United States ought to put hundreds of thousands of troops on the ground in Iran to topple the regime. No one is talking about that. What we are talking about is a risk-reward calculation, whereby targeted American action could have a disproportionate effect on the future not only of the Middle East, but on geopolitics as a whole.
Imagine if the Houthis stopped harassing shipping in the Red Sea anymore because their sponsor state, Iran, was gone. Imagine if the Chinese had to be a little bit more careful about their playing around with anti-American forces in the Middle East, because the mullahs weren&#8217;t there to help them out. Imagine if the Russians did not have a gigantic supply of weaponry coming in from Iran.
A lot of people on the horseshoe theory Right are mirroring Ben Rhodes’ and Barack Obama’s foreign policy; many of them are simply dismissing a lot of the numbers coming out of Iran. You might notice that these are the same people perfectly willing to trust Hamas&#8217;s numbers in the Gaza Strip.
The same people who, in specious fashion, were labeling Israel&#8217;s targeted action in the Gaza Strip a genocide, have now gone extraordinarily silent when it comes to Iran literally mowing down protesters in the streets. That’s pretty incredible stuff from our human rights-loving friends.
The silence of the Left in the face of the brutality of the Iranian regime toward an innocent citizenry is staggeringly hypocritical and vile.

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Iran: Slaughter In The Streets And The Left Is Silent

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In 1946, not too long after the end of World War II, Winston Churchill famously spoke of a “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States — not only as a bond of history and language, but as a partnership grounded in shared principles and moral duty. That same sense of duty must guide us today as we confront the world’s leading state sponsor of terror: the clerical regime in Iran.
Historically, when facing totalitarian regimes, Britain, the US, and other Western powers have placed local dissidents at the center of any discussion about the future of oppressed nations. Yet Iran remains a glaring exception. For reasons that defy logic and morality, successive governments have marginalized the voices of Iranian democrats.
I am one of a growing number of Western politicians on both sides of the Atlantic who believe this should change and to this end, I will speak at the Free Iran Convention in Washington, D.C., on November 15, where more than one thousand Iranian experts, professionals, and academicians from all over the US, will present their vision for a free, democratic Iran.
For nearly half a century, Western policy toward Tehran has prioritized negotiation over accountability, assuming the clerical regime’s grip on power was unshakeable. Many believed Iran’s rulers would never meet the same fate as the Shah — at least not without chaos in the absence of a viable alternative.
That assumption was flawed from the outset. In the immediate aftermath of the 1979 revolution, the forces that helped topple the Shah — chief among them the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) — remained active, popular, and determined to oppose the theocracy that hijacked the revolution’s promise. The regime responded with brutal repression throughout the 1980s, culminating in the horrific 1988 massacre of around 30,000 political prisoners, most of them MEK members and supporters.
This atrocity was meant to eliminate organized opposition once and for all. It failed. The MEK survived and went on to form the backbone of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a broad coalition advocating regime change and democratic transition. Yet, tragically, the massacre convinced much of the international community that internal resistance had been extinguished — and that engagement with Tehran was the only realistic path forward.
Encouraged by that misperception (echoed by the regime’s protagonists and lobbyists), the regime deepened its repression at home and aggression abroad. It became the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, the nation with the highest per-capita rate of executions, and the only non-nuclear-armed state enriching uranium to 60% purity — just short of weapons-grade.
Ironically, by assuming the regime’s permanence, Western leaders helped create a situation where regime change has become essential for global security and human rights. Some progress is evident: the UK, France, and Germany recently triggered the re-imposition of UN sanctions following Washington’s return to a “maximum pressure” strategy.
But it remains unclear whether today’s policymakers grasp how profoundly their predecessors misread the regime’s vulnerability.
That misunderstanding can no longer be excused. Three nationwide uprisings — in 2018, 2019, and 2022 — have shown the Iranian people’s enduring commitment to democratic change. The unity and persistence of their demands reveal the strength of an organized opposition that, despite deadly crackdowns and decades of dismissal by Western analysts, continues to challenge the regime from within.
The Free Iran Convention in Washington builds on this momentum. It follows major gatherings in Brussels and across Europe, where Iranian youth and dissidents reaffirmed their readiness for a democratic transition. The movement’s supporters will call for a coherent Western policy — one that recognizes the NCRI as a credible alternative and supports the Iranian people’s right to determine their future.
Many of us in public life have already joined this cause. In parliaments on both sides of the Atlantic, lawmakers have endorsed resolutions recognizing the NCRI as a legitimate democratic alternative to the current regime and affirming the Iranian people’s right to establish a secular, non-nuclear republic. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI, has articulated a ten-point plan as a roadmap for a future democratic republic of Iran. It has gained cross-party support of the majority of members of both the US House of Representatives and the UK House of Commons.
It is time for policymakers to act accordingly. The UK and European Union must designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and democratic governments should hold Tehran’s leaders accountable for crimes against humanity. Most importantly, the West must acknowledge the Iranian people’s right to overthrow tyranny and build a democratic future.
Appeasement has never delivered stability. Courage, clarity, and solidarity with the Iranian people just might.
* * *
Rt. Hon. John Bercow was the Speaker of the UK House of Commons from 2009 to 2019.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Protest Against U.S. Attacks On Iran

It’s Time To Challenge Tehran’s Illusion Of Strength With Reality

Democracy

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Great Britain

Radical Islamic Terror

Suspicions are starting to mount about the whereabouts of the leader of Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps&#8217; Quds Force (IRGC-QF), a designated terrorist organization, following an Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah late last month.
Qaani — who replaced Qassem Soleimani after the Trump administration killed Soleimani in a drone strike in January 2020 — has not been seen in public since the September 27 strike, according to the <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-qaani-under-guard-and-questioned-iran-probes-nasrallah-killing">Middle East Eye</a>.
Qaani traveled to Syria with other IRGC commanders after the strike on Nasrallah to assess the situation on the ground.
He was reportedly set to attend a meeting of Hezbollah’s Shura Council on October 4 with Nasrallah’s presumed successor, Hashem Safieddine, when he backed out of the meeting at the last second.
Within minutes of Safieddine arriving at the deep underground bunker, a powerful airstrike hit the bunker and demolished everything above and below ground.
Following the strike on Safieddine, contact with Qaani was lost for at least two days, leading to speculation that he was dead or had been injured in the strike.
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Nearly a dozen sources throughout the Middle East told the publication that suspicions are high with Iran&#8217;s Islamic regime that Israel has penetrated the IRGC at high levels since it has been able to locate and kill top terrorists throughout the region, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in July when a bomb was placed into his room at an IRGC compound.
The report claims that Qaani is under &#8220;house arrest&#8221; and his team is under investigation as officials seek to find the source of the Israeli breach into the IRGC.
Sky News Arabia reported that during his interrogation on Thursday, Qaani <a href="https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/10/10/report-quds-force-commander-suffers-heart-attack-during-interrogation-over-ties-with-israel/">suffered</a> a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.
However, a semi-official news agency linked to the IRGC said this week that Qaani was set to soon receive a medal from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
&#8220;Commander Qaani is in perfect health and will receive the Fath medal from the Supreme Leader in the coming days,&#8221; Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to Qaani, told Tasnim.

Esmail-Qaani-Iranian-IRGC-Quds-Force-Commander

Mystery Surrounds The Whereabouts Of IRGC Quds Force’s Top Commander Following Israel Airstrike

Global Politics

President Joe Biden said in a letter to Congress on Sunday that he was prepared to take additional action in the Middle East against members of Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria late last week.
The strikes were conducted after an Iranian-backed terrorist group killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded dozens more in a suicide drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan.
“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.”
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Biden said that he was legally allowed to conduct the strikes without congressional approval &#8220;pursuant to the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40).&#8221;
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Toward the end of the letter, Biden said that he would authorize, if necessary, action against the IRGC, which is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
&#8220;If necessary, I will direct additional measures, including against the IRGC and IRGC-affiliated personnel and facilities, as appropriate, to address the series of attacks against United States forces and facilities,&#8221; he said.
The letter did not give any details about what additional measures the administration was prepared to take.

A-10 Thunderbolt II reinforcement to Incirlik 39th Air Base Wing

Biden: If ‘Necessary,’ I Will ‘Direct Additional Measures’ Against IRGC Personnel

Executive

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mike johnson

The deadly and repressive Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military right arm of the despotic Iranian theocratic government which has been labeled a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) by the U.S. State Department, is showing signs of cracking from the protests by Iran’s citizenry after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Mini in Iranian custody last September.
The IRGC was established by Ayatollah Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini in May 1979 after the Islamic Revolution, and has brutally targeted Iran’s own citizens when they protest against the government. But at a meeting on January 3 between the IRGC and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it was acknowledged not only that some of the IRGC forces had aided protesters, but one member of the Guard had targeted Khameini’s residence with artillery.
“Since the start of the protests, we have had personnel who have defied orders,” one commander, Gholamali Rashidi, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11880597/Irans-feared-Revolutionary-Guard-tried-BLOW-Ayatollahs-residence-artillery.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly stated</a>, adding, “One incident involved an individual targeting the Supreme Leader’s residence with artillery.”
Some commanders informed the meeting that the bulk of forces they supervised refused to stand against Iranian citizens and rejected orders to shoot at them.
“Based on our reports, it appears that IRGC forces are not in the same situation as last year, particularly with respect to their morale, as there has been a decline,” Abdullah Haji Sadeghi, who represented Khameini, stated, according to <a href="https://iranwire.com/en/politics/114906-exclusive-irgc-commanders-warn-khamenei-about-implosion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran Wire.</a>
“Recently, we have witnessed instances of disruption and aid by armed forces towards civilians,” the deputy commander of the IRGC force in Alborz, Ehsan Khorshidi, admitted.
Mahmoud Mohammadi Shahroudi, the commander in charge of paramilitary Basij seminary students, acknowledged roughly 5,000 members had exited the organization.
When the U.S. designated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist group in 2019, it was the first time the U.S. had designated the military branch of a foreign country in this manner.
The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act stated, “The IRGC, not just the IRGC-QF [the Qods Force, the Guard’s extraterritorial branch], is responsible for implementing Iran’s international program of destabilizing activities, support for acts of international terrorism, and ballistic missile program.”
The law is pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which <a href="https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp644.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aimed</a> at freezing the assets of terrorists and their supporters, and preventing their access to U.S. financial and commercial systems, according to the Treasury Department.
Iran’s Ground Forces, Aerospace Forces, Navy, and the Basij paramilitary are all part of the IRGC; the Revolutionary Guard, an all-conscript army, is estimated to have 150,000 active duty members; a Western think tank <a href="https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/media/csis/pubs/070816_cordesman_report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> the Basij at 90,000 active members, 300,000 reservists and one million men who could be mobilized.

IRAN-IRAQ-US-ANNIVERSARY

Iran’s Deadly IRGC Showing Cracks After Protests

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