Revolutionary Guards commander Sayyed Razi Mousavi — assassinated by Israel — in Syria with the head of the Guards’ Qods Forces, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the US in January 2020
UPDATE, JAN 4:
The US military has killed an Iran-backed Iraqi militia leader, blamed for recent attacks on American personnel on bases in Iraq.
Iraqi police sources and witnesses said a drone fired at least two rockets at the headquarters of the al-Nujaba’a militia in eastern Baghdad. The rockets hit a vehicle and killed four people, including a local group commander and one of his aides.
UPDATE, JAN 2:
The Israel Defense Forces have confirmed its strikes inside Syria early Tuesday morning.
The IDF — which regularly targets positions of the Assad regime, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah —says it attacked in response to rocket fire on northern Israel on Monday night.
Thee IDF said it hit “infrastructure” of the Assad regime’s military. It did not give the location.
The regime military said that Israel had again struck areas near Damascus, where the Israelis killed a leading Iranian commander, Seyyed Razi Mousavi, on December 25. The attack came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at 4:35 a.m.
UPDATE, DEC 31:
Four fighters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and two other Iran-backed militia were killed in the strikes early Saturday inside northeast Syria near the Iraq border (see Update, Dec 30).
The three airstrikes near Abu Kamal were close to a border crossing used by Iran and its allies to move forces and weapons into Syria.
Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of its fighters “on the road to Jerusalem.
The strikes targeted an eight-truck convoy, destroying at least four trucks, said “sources who have contacts with Syrian and Iraqi border officials”. Three buildings used by an Iran-backed militia were also targeted.
Israel — which recurrently strikes Iranian, Hezbollah, and Assad regime forces — is suspected of the attack.
UPDATE 2030 GMT:
Israel has carried out further airstrikes inside Syria on Saturday, hitting Assad regime targets near Aleppo city.
Syria: Israel carried out multiple airstrikes this afternoon bombing area S. of Aleppo-city. A large warehouse is among the targets destroyed.
Israel is now bombing Assad-held Syria almost on daily basis (5th attack this week). pic.twitter.com/HLV61PNdtU— QalaatM (@QalaatM) December 30, 2023
The Assad regime has retaliated by shelling civilians in opposition-held Idlib city in northwest Syria.
Here comes the usual Assad's "retaliation" to Israeli airstrikes: bombing civilians in Idlib.
Center of the city was just hit with heavy artillery. Casualties feared.
Watch Assad's terror deliberately aiming at civilians👇 pic.twitter.com/REyClbgePb— QalaatM (@QalaatM) December 30, 2023
UPDATE, DEC 30:
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are “strongly denying” a report in Al Arabiya, a Saudi Arabian State outlet, that 11 commanders were killed in an Israeli strike inside Syria.
Citing unnamed sources, Al Arabiya asserted that the Israelis again struck the Iranian military’s main complex near Damascus International Airport.
The Assad regime’s Defense Ministry and military earlier reported Israeli airstrikes in southern Syria and near Damascus.
Five Iran-backed militiamen were reportedly slain by airstrikes on their position in northeast Syria near the Iraqi border. No claim of responsibility has been made, but a leading analyst of operations inside Syria is pointing to Israel.
E. Syria: airstrikes targeted last night S. outskirts of AbuKemal, near the border with Iraq. Trucks carrying weapons were destroyed. US accused, but modus operandi rather points at Israel. There are confirmed casualties (at least 5 dead) among pro-Iran/IRGC fighters. pic.twitter.com/FKIzwPG4jH
— QalaatM (@QalaatM) December 30, 2023
On Friday, Iranian authorities executed three men and a woman accused of spying for Israel.
Wafa Hanare, Aram Omari, Rahman Parhazo, and Nasim Namazi were condemned as members of a “sabotage group linked to the Zionist entity”. They were hanged in Urmia Prison in northwestern Iran.
The executed were among 10 people arrested in 2021 and 2022 on declarations that they communicated with Israel. A fifth defendant has been sentenced to death, and the other five received 10-year prison terms.
UPDATE 1539 GMT:
US military forces carried out strikes on three locations with Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq on Monday, retaliating for militia rocket and drone attacks on American personnel.
Earlier in the day, a drone attack on Erbil airbase in Iraq wounded three US troops, one critically.
President Biden ordered the retaliatory strikes.
Since mid-October, the Iranian-backed militias have carried out almost-daily assaults.
A senior official of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kata’ib Hezbollah declare that the attacks are because US support for Israel’s attacks in Gaza and American “occupation” of Iraq.
“Our operations will continue until the departure of the last American soldier,” he said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned both the drone attack and the US response, which he said killed one Iraqi service member and injured 18 others, including civilians.
US Central Command said there were “no indications that any civilian lives were affected”.
UPDATE 1301 GMT:
“Informed sources” have confirmed to Amwaj.media that Sayyed Razi Mousavi, assassinated by Israel on Monday, was in charge of coordination between the Revolutionary Guards’ Qods Forces and the Assad regime.
Mousavi arranged the entry of Iran-led forces, arms shipments, and Hezbollah fighters into Syria. He had a central role in the delivery of Iranian Fateh-class surface-to-surface ballistic missiles to Hezbollah.
Mousavi worked closely with Javad Ghaffari, the previous head of Revolutionary Guards operations in Syria. After Ghaffari’s return to Iran in 2021, Mousavi had even greater influence.
An “informed Arab source” said:
Seyed Razi had great influence and a presence in Syria, and everyone there knew him. He had several public and secret headquarters, perhaps the most prominent of which is the one located at Damascus International Airport, which he used to receive sensitive Iranian and other dignitaries who come to Syria.”
UPDATE, DEC 26:
The commander of the Iran Army, Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, has joined President Ebrahim Raisi in declaring that Israel’s assassination of Sayyed Razi Mousavi inside Syria is a sign of Israeli “weakness”.
Following the defeats of the usurping regime in the face of the people in Gaza and the resistance front, the impotence and frustration of the child-killing Zionist regime were exposed once again by another crime and the martyrdom of a sincere fighter.
ORIGINAL ENTRY, DEC 25:
Israel’s military has assassinated a commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Syria.
Three munitions reportedly hit Iran’s main military compound in Syria, in the Sayyed Zeynab area south of Damascus, killing Sayyed Razi Mousavi.
Iran State TV acknowledged the killing of Sayyed Razi Mousavi (pictured) in the Sayyeda Zeinab area south of Damascus, the main location of the Iranian military in Syria. It said he was one of the longest-serving commanders of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards branch for operations outside Iran, propping up the Assad regime.
Reports said he was “among those accompanying Qassem Soleimani”, the head of the Quds Force who led operations in Syria until he was assassinated by a US drone strike in January 2020 near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq.
Lebanon’s al-Jadeed outlet said Mousavi had lived in Syria for 30 years and had his own office inside the Assad regime’s Defense Ministry.
Throughout the conflict in Syria since March 2011, with the Assad regime’s bloody repression of mass protests, Israel has attacked targets of Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah as well as the regime.
See also UPDATES: Israel Strike Inside Syria Kills Son of Hezbollah Commander
The Revolutionary Guards said in a statement, “Undoubtedly, the usurper and savage Zionist regime will pay for this crime.”
President Ebrahim Raisi blustered, “This act is a sign of the Zionist regime’s frustration and weakness in the region for which it will certainly pay the price.”
He declared that Israel “will certainly pay for this crime”. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian echoed, “Tel Aviv faces a tough countdown.”
Iran’s ally Hezbollah denounced a “flagrant and shameless violation, which is off limits”.
More on the vetting results: https://www.farsnews.ir/news/14021014000737
“Of the 275 current MPs who registered in the upcoming election, only 26 were not qualified. This number has decreased since the last period. 52% of applicants were approved and 38 percent of applicants faced disqualification and only less than 2,000 were not qualified to run – less than 10 percent of the candidates.”
At this stage in the 2020 election, just 4,800 applicants had bee improved whereas it is over 11,000 this time round.
Terrorist attack kills 81 in Iran: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/03/717528/terror-attack-in-Iran-Kerman-leave-at-least-20-dead
I can guarantee that
i) Iranian opposition activists will claim this was a an inside job. I have no doubts.
ii) Iran will blame ISIS but some figures will blame Israel.
iii) Raisi will be asked to take revenge on the attackers and their sponsors.
And no doubt khamenei urgently and desperately needs relieve and distraction from his “I am voice of god” fiasco, and his lack of response to israel’s actions.
So, yes this is a “oh, look over there moment” in iran
ELECTION UPDATE: https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1213613
The outcome of the vetting process (conducted first by the Interior Ministry executive boards and then by the Guardians Council’s supervisory boards) will be announced Friday, Jan 5th. The appeals process will complete on Thursday February 8th followed by a 3 week election campaign to be concluded on the eve of the elections on March 1st.
More clown show from desperate khamenei….
‘God Spoke Through Me,’ Khamenei Claims, Stirring Controversy
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202401029230
ELECTION UPDATE: https://birjand.iribnews.ir/fa/news/4108635
The supervisory boards run by the Guardians Council have completed checking the qualification for 222 candidates of 245 initially registered in S. Khorasan and will announce the outcome by the end of the week. The executive boards run by the Interior Ministry rejected 15 hopefuls and another 8 withdrew. Candidates can appeal any decision not to allow them to run within 3 days. Reformists have said they are hopeful of having their candidates approved. Most candidates are independents: https://www.javanonline.ir/fa/news/1207470
There are rumours that former president Rouhani has been disqualified from running in the Assembly of Experts election that can appoint and dismiss the Leadership.
And here is another prospect of upcoming election when people in the streets where asked…
https://youtu.be/IxapuyWphtA?t=364
“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are “strongly denying” a report in Al Arabiya, a Saudi Arabian State outlet, that 11 commanders were killed in an Israeli strike inside Syria…”
This was first reported by Syrian NGOs, later it was picked up by al arabiya.
Denial is one of very few options left for khamenei that may slow down the spiraling down of affairs.
You want to see how desperate khamenei is watch this video at about 15min mark. First, they bring out a fake soleimani with make up, following that in another event it shows “mahdi” (the promised “emam”) walking up to the stage….I guess mahdi is standup comedian too
Khamenei’s response to Israel’s actions are these clown shows
https://youtu.be/zzHkNmYjaoc?si=FpCygJvuABDpFQwm
[Editor’s Note: An opinion piece from a promoter of crypto-currency, using Iran and Russia as props….]
U.S. Dollar ‘Demise’—Iran And Russia Suddenly Abandon The Dollar As It Charts Worst Year Since 2020 Amid A $1.6 Trillion Bitcoin And Crypto Price Boom: https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/12/30/us-dollar-demise-iran-and-russia-suddenly-abandon-the-dollar-as-it-charts-worst-year-since-2020-amid-a-16-trillion-bitcoin-and-crypto-price-boom/
“Iran and Russia have signed a deal to trade in their local currencies instead of the U.S dollar, with one economist warning the “demise of the U.S. hegemony is really upon us. Russia and Iran, both subject to strict U.S. sanctions, have been working to remove their dependence on the U.S. dollar in recent years, undermining global dollar dominance.”
Why Raisi and Khamenei need Trump to win in November: (my own analysis):
Although Trump tore up the JCPOA and ordered the attack killing General Soleimani, Iran would rather deal with someone who is desperate to prove himself in foreign policy win and who would carry the support of Republicans in any future agreement. The flaw in the JCPOA is that it was not approved by a majority in Congress. Unlike in his first term, Trump would not be so keen to hire any war hawks like Pompeo and Bplton and is peeved with Netanyahu. Biden, on the other hand, has proved dithery and seems to have reneged on his own agreement to release Iranian assets held in Iran – even for humanitarian purposes. Rouhani and Zarif regretted not reaching out to Trump when Rex Tillerson was SoS. They just expected the world to rally to Iran’s corner if the US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA. Instead, most countries agreed to abide by newly imposed sanctions. Donald Trump probably does not want to start a war with Iran given his “America First – stop endless foreign wars” mantra. That is why I am supporting Trump.
Eleven top Iranian commanders killed in Damascus airport strike – report
https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-780016
“Editor’s Note: Commenter proves my point. Guardian Council has excluded many reformists, in part because they dislike the views of the reformists and in part because the reformists are seen as a threat to the Supreme Leader’s authority. Ahmadinejad was supported by the Supreme Leader in 2005 and 2009 — to the point of a fraudulent election — but when his views were seen as a challenge to the regime, he and his allies were barred by the Council.”
In 2005, then mayor of Tehran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, ran against a centrist. Rafsanjani, three reformists in Mostafa Moin, Mehdi Karroubi and Mohsen Mehralizadeh, and two other conservatives in Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Ali Larijani. It was known at the time that Khamenei likely voted for Qalibaf or Larijani, not Ahmadinejad. The vote went to a second round in which Ahmadinejad won in a landslide.
[Editor’s Note: Commenter offers another example of the Guardian Council’s management of the Presidential election. Ali Larijani was disqualified in 2021 not because of “corruption charges” — there were no charges against him — but to ensure that the conservative vote did not split as in 2013 and 2017, allowing the centrist Hassan Rouhani to win.
Eshagh Jahangiri was disqualified in 2021 as a leading member of Hassan Rouhani’s camp, having been his Vice President.]
Jahangiri plans to register for presidential elections in 2025: https://fararu.com/fa/news/694751
There is speculation that Larijani and Jahangiri (both of whom were not qualified by the Guardians Council in 2021 on corruption charges) will try and run against Raisi to thwart his re-election. The Guardians Council members some of whom change every few years – vote on the qualification of candidates with a simple majority being sufficient ( 7 out of 12).
[Editor’s Note: Critics of Ali Larijani and his brothers said for many years that they profited from their time in office. The point is that the Guardian Council saw no reason to disqualify Ali Larijani — a long-term Speaker of the Majlis — as a Presidential candidate until 2021, when the election was managed for a victory by Ebrahim Raisi.]
“Commenter offers another example of the Guardian Council’s management of the Presidential election. Ali Larijani was disqualified in 2021 not because of “corruption charges” — there were no charges against him — but to ensure that the conservative vote did not split as in 2013 and 2017, allowing the centrist Hassan Rouhani to win.”
Actually, there were corruption charges made against both men by lawmakers and by the courts. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2017/10/iran-first-vp-eshagh-jahangiri-mahdi-brother-corruption.html
The Guardians Council has the right to disqualify candidates if they do not show the required “piety and trustworthiness” according to Article 115 of the constitution.
Iranian Leader Tries To Sway Women For March Elections
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202312274303
Yes, we did it, we took revenge, no we didn’t….
(In farsi)
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-revolutionary-guards-spokesperson-deny-statement-hamas-operation/32749769.html
“don’t play with the lion’s tail”
Well, you have and your beloved murderous regime have done more than just threats. What’s new…that is who are.
[Editor’s Note: The Iran regime’s justification of its managing of the elections through disqualification of any candidate that it does not like.]
Announcement of the qualification process of candidates for the Majlis and Assembly of Experts elections to be made on Jan 5th: https://www.farsnews.ir/kohgiluyeh-boyerahmad/news/14021001000157
The Guardians Council’s supervisory boards will complete vetting for candidates who were already initially screened by the executive committees of the Interior Ministry. Candidates will have nearly 6 weeks to appeal any rejections all the way up to the 12-man Guardians Council itself (potentially 3 avenues of appeal). A record 48,000 candidates registered their intention to stand – 3 times more than the number in 2020. The election campaign begins officially 2 weeks before the vote to be held on March 1st. It is unclear how many reformist candidates are running but most are independents who are not members of any political party or group.
[Editor’s Note: This is the formal description of the vetting process. In practice, the Guardian Council can — and does — disqualify any candidate who in general is considered “deviant” or whose views are unacceptable and who specifically brings an objection from the Supreme Leader’s office.]
The vetting process proceeds according to Iranian election law which stipulates the qualifications and reasons for possible disqualification as follows:
1. Be an Iranian citizen and have Iranian nationality alone.
2. Be aged between 35 and 75.
3. Hold a Master’s degree or higher.
4. Be in good physical and mental health.
5. Be a practicing Muslim.(unless from a recognized religious minority).
6. Be loyal to the constitution of the Islamic Republic.
7. Not be a member of an illegal/proscribed group.
8. Not have a criminal record except for minor offenses.
9. Not have a reputation for being a drug addict or trafficker.
10. Not be a government official or civil servant.
Anyone can register their intention to stand in Iranian elections and independents can get onto the ballot in Iran much easier than in most countries.
[Editor’s Note: Commenter proves my point. Guardian Council has excluded many reformists, in part because they dislike the views of the reformists and in part because the reformists are seen as a threat to the Supreme Leader’s authority.
Ahmadinejad was supported by the Supreme Leader in 2005 and 2009 — to the point of a fradulent election — but when his views were seen as a challenge to the regime, he and his allies were barred by the Council.]
The Guardians Council has, in the past, both excluded and approved the candidacy of reformists and supporters of Ahmadinejad alike. Key reformists include Mohammad Reza Khatami, and his brother, Mohammad Reza Aref, Hassan Rouhani, Mehdi Karroubi, Mohsen Mehralizadeh, Abdolnasser Hemmati, Mirhossein Mousavi, Eshaq Jahangiri, Majid Ansari, Masoud Pezeshkian…etc. Anyway, let’s see what the outcome of the vetting process is, but the reality is that Iranians will have more candidate choice than in many other countrie where there are only 5 or so candidates per constituency running.
When in Jan. 2020 Trump authorized the murder of Iran’s Qud leader subsequently reported was that such risked a nuclear response. And how this was only diverted when U.S. allies, alienated by Trump, intervened. Could a similar outcome be possible given the animosity between Iran and Israel?
Very interesting to see what Iran does about this: نزنیم میزنند (if we don’t strike, they will). Could be an Israeli ploy to provoke Iran but doing nothing is not an option.
Oh, reza, you are so caught in your own goozpich(left hand playing chess with right hand…wait whose play was that again…)
“با دم شیر بازی نکن”: don’t play with the lion’s tail.