Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a building in southern Damascus, Syria, reportedly killing four Iran Revolutionary Guards and several Assad regime troops, January 20, 2024 (Louai Beshara/AFP)
A Weakened Iran Regime Lashes Out — and Gets Punched in the Nose
UPDATE, FEB 21:
Israel has again carried out airstrikes in southern Damascus, near the position of Iranian and Assad regime forces.
A regime military official said two people were killed and one injured in a residential area. Photos showed the strike on the fourth floor of a 10-story building, with shattered window glass on others and damage to dozens of parked cars. An empty parked bus for a private school was also damaged, with parents rushing to find their children.
UPDATE, FEB 5:
The latest Revolutionary Guards officer killed in Israel’s airstrikes on Iranian positions in southern Damascus has been identified.
Additional information on the Iranian "advisor" killed 2 days ago in Israeli airstrike in Syria:
– Expert in drone warfare
– Worked in Masyaf's Scientific Research Complex
– Recently arrived in Damascus
– Israel killed his brother, an IRGC General, in 2015https://t.co/c8r6AtR8yY https://t.co/zoHcoWjQxf— QalaatM (@QalaatM) February 4, 2024
UPDATE, FEB 2:
Another member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has been killed in the latest Israeli airstrike on Iranian positions in the south of Syria’s capital Damascus.
Iranian media confirmed the fatality. Unconfirmed claims said three Iranians or Iran-backed militiamen were slain.
The Assad regime’s military reported damage from Israeli missiles, fired from over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights about 4:20 a.m., but did not mention casualties.
UPDATE, FEB 1:
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have reportedly withdrawn senior officers from Syria because of Israel’s deadly strikes, say “five sources familiar with the matter”.
A “senior regional security official briefed by Tehran” said senior Iranian commanders and dozens of mid-ranking officers have left.
The sources said the Guards will rely more on local Shia militia, overseen by Tehran, to maintain influence. The Iranians, with the help of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, will oversee operations remotely.
The militia have stepped up attacks on US personnel, including this week’s attack killing three troops on an outpost in Jordan.
EA on BBC: The Killing of US Troops in Jordan
Three of the sources said Iran is scaling back its high-level presence in part to avoid a direct confrontation with the US, Israel, or others in the Middle East.
The Iranians, who are based in southern Damascus, are relocating operational sites and officers’ residences amidst concerns of an intelligence breach.
UPDATE, JAN 21:
Iran-backed militias fired ballistic missiles and rockets on US personnel on bases in western Iraq, hours after Israel’s killing of five Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Syria’s capital Damascus.
US officials said most munitions were intercepted, but some got through defenses. Personnel were wounded, with some personnel “are undergoing evaluation for traumatic brain injuries”, usually a reference to concussion.
The Iran-based Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-backed militia group, claimed responsibility. It cited American “occupation forces” in the region and the “Zionist entity’s massacres” against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The militias have regularly fired rockets and drones on bases in Iraq and Syria, with 140 assaults since October 7 amid Hamas’ mass killing inside Israel and Israeli mass killings inside Gaza.
However, Saturday attack’s is only the second time that ballistic missiles have been used.
The US has responded occasionally with strikes on militia positions.
See also US and Israel Strike Iran-Backed Militias in Syria and Iraq
UPDATE 1818 GMT:
A fifth Revolutionary Guards member has died in today’s Israeli attack on the intelligence center of the Guards’ Quds Force in southern Damascus.
The Guards said Amin Samadi passed away from injuries suffered in the missile strike on the three-story building in the Mezzeh district, close to Bashar al-Assad’s Presidential Palace.
Photos of five #IRGC members who were killed in Israeli strike on Damascus today on Saturday.#Iran https://t.co/cFSZb1z8lQ pic.twitter.com/imCIYElw7z
— Iran Nuances (@IranNuances) January 20, 2024
President Ebrahim Raisi declared that the strike “will not go unanswered”.
UPDATE 1300 GMT:
Iranian outlets are confirming that the head of intelligence for the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards branch for operations outside the Islamic Republic, was killed in today’s Israeli missile strikes on southern Damascus.
Reports identified the intelligence chief as Gen. Sadegh Omidzadeh. His deputy was among the four Iranians slain.
Iranian state media are sharing photos of Hojjatollah Omidvar or Hajj Sadegh, the senior IRGC general who was killed in an airstrike blamed on Israel. https://t.co/6n62Pv9NEr pic.twitter.com/THSd28FnTg
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 20, 2024
ORIGINAL ENTRY: An Israeli missile strike has killed at least four members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards near Damascus, less than a month after the Israelis assassinated the top Iranian commander in Syria.
A missile caused extensive damage to a three-story building in the Mezzeh district of southern Damascus, the Iranian military’s main position in Syria. Iran’s English-language outlet, Press TV, showed video of the “extensive devastation”.
New footage shows the extensive devastation caused by an Israeli attack in the Western Mezzeh Villas suburb in Damascus pic.twitter.com/BueiMQbI2V
— Press TV (@PressTV) January 20, 2024
The Revolutionary Guards confirmed the fatalities, saying several Assad regime troops were also slain, in a statement:
Once more the criminal Zionist regime has moved to violate the city of Damascus, the Syrian capital.
During an airstrike by the fighter jets of the invading and occupying regime a number of Syrian forces and four military advisers of the Islamic Republic of Iran were martyred.
One of the victims is believed to be the head of the Intelligence Department of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards’ branch for operations outside Iran.
Israel has carried out strikes against targets of the Assad regime, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah since the Syrian uprising against the regime in March 2011.
However, recent attacks have moved from hitting Iranian missiles and weapons for Hezbollah to the killing of military officers and troops.
On December 25, Israel assassinated Sayyed Razi Mousavi, the head of the Quds Force in Syria. Mousavi had worked in the country for more than 30 years and was the right-hand man of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the Quds Forces commander killed by a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.
See also Israel Assassinates Iran Revolutionary Guards Commander in Syria
Stung by Mousavi’s assassination and by an Islamic State attack on January 3 that killed at least 91 civilians in south-central Iran, the Revolutionary Guards carried out missile strikes inside Iraqi Kurdistan and Pakistan earlier this week.
The tactic backfired when Pakistan responded with strikes on Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeast Iran.
The list of political fronts, parties and groups active in the elections: https://www.isna.ir/news/1402120100636
“The committee of the country’s election headquarters announced that 74 national parties, 31 provincial parties, along with 21 fronts and political alliances are included in this list.”
Expect the regime trumpeting high election participation.
They decided not to stamp the id card when people vote. Now, how do they know how many times people have voted, you may ask. They won’t know, and that is exactly the point. They are gonna send their zombies out to vote until they have the numbers they want…
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/it-is-not-necessary-to-stamp-birth-certificates-in-iranian-elections/32832458.html
Because they have their index finger dyed in purple ink and their names are entered into the computer.
Of the 61,172, 298 eligible voters, I expect 26-32 million to vote (turnout from 42% to 52%). If you had to press me, I would give 28.8m (47%) as the turnout.
How do you identify a person whether they are eligible to vote or not by looking at their finger?
Khar khodeti! Not everyone is a chump. This will backfire , whatever the outcome it’ll be viewed as cheats…
Iranian Seminary Scholars Say Elections Lost Meaning
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202402222484
List of 3,545 candidates for Tehran published: https://media.mehrnews.com/d/2024/02/22/0/4871521.pdf?ts=1708570843046
As PressTV reported: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/02/22/720578/Record-number-of-candidates-begins-election-campaign-in-Iran-
“Most of the candidates, particularly in small constituencies, are doctors, engineers, civil servants, and teachers who are not affiliated with any political group.”
Iran’s Clerical Rulers Face ‘Legitimacy Crisis’ Ahead Of Elections
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-s-clerical-rulers-face-legitimacy-crisis-ahead-of-elections/32829440.html
VOICE OF THE NATION (reformist-moderate-centrist) list for Tehran announced: https://borna.news/fa/news/2062122
The list contains former government officials and MPs and academics. 7 on the list are women.
UNITY COUNCIL (principlist) list announced: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1402/12/02/3043078
The main principlist group, the Coalition Council, is still negotiating its 30-man list for Tehran with the Stability Front.
I have mixed feelings about this new kotlet making trend. It used to be my favourite food.
What is Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLlqDGQItw
Senator Tom Cotton: Biden has telegraphed to Iran what he plans to do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xi_2A0YrCQ
Iranian personnel have returned to Tehran for a break.
US defence secretary denies giving Iran too much warning of impending strikes: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2024/02/01/biden-plans-iran-response-us-will-strike-iranian-personnel/
Iranian officers are leaving Syria (temporarily) in anticipation of the impending strikes.
“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have reportedly withdrawn senior officers from Syria because of Israel’s deadly strikes, …”
The mighty irgc runs like scared rats. There got to be protesters somewhere to kill or blind, if not, shoot down civilian plane somewhere, surely! Maybe execute few more poor people in battling israel…
138 cleared to run for the Assembly of Experts: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1402/11/04/3028725
No news about Rouhani yet (officially). Those among the 372 who were not qualified to run, can appeal the decision.
A further 650 were reinstated for the parallel Majlis elections bringing the total number of approved candidates to 12,683.
Iranian Rapper Faces New Charges That Could Carry Death Sentence
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-rapper-salehi-death-penalty/32787077.html
Iranian Convicted Of Killing Policeman in 2022 Protests Executed
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-protests-police-killing/32788218.html
And this is despite the FACT that their own high court had revoked the death sentence.
1,560 reformists approved to run for the Majlis elections: https://www.jahannews.com/news/867452
The Interior Ministry claims that over 1,000 “reformist candidates” have registered and been approved to run out of 12,000 hitherto. However, this is taken from a questionnaire asked of the political leanings of all candidates. It does not indicate whether the hopefuls are actual members of reformist parties and organisations. 180 reformist politicians and activists have registered and, so far, only 30-40 have been approved with the rest still in the appeals process. The figure is plausible because many members of educational, medical, legal and cultural institutions are running.
[Editor’s Note: This is inaccurate. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have fired on the Baluch insurgency Jaish ul-Adl. Pakistan claims it fired on other groups.]
“The tactic backfired when Pakistan responded with strikes on Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeast Iran.”
Not really. The Pakistanis just launched strikes against the same terror group inside of Iran, doing the dirty work of Tehran for it.
More than 1,000 appeals to the Guardians Council upheld so far: https://www.isna.ir/news/1402110100647
“To date, more than 1,000 people who registered their objections in the registration stage of appeals have been approved by the Guardian Council.”
The definitive list of appeals will be announced on Feb 8th: https://www.farsnews.ir/news/14021101001019
Candidates can still appeal directly to the 12 members of the Guardians Council (rather than their subordinates) between Feb 8th and Feb 22nd.
Nobody gives a shit about your bogus “election”….
Amid Rising Tensions With Iran, Pakistani Police Say Member Of Iranian-Backed Militant Group Arrested In Karachi
https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-arrest-iranian-backed-militant-group-member/32785586.html
Israeli Killings Of IRGC Generals Unleash Mockery Among Iranians
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202401212350
For forthy five years they have wasted resource of iran promising they wipe off Israel from face of the earth. Guess what? Khamenei is hiding like a RAT when the”enemy” is Israeli, but his forces run like lions when it comes to unarmed protesters.
Where is the other rat, reza?