Dual US-Iranian national Reza Valizadeh (pictured), a former journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been arrested in Iran’s capital Tehran.
Valizadeh was held about three weeks ago and is facing charges such as cooperation with Farsi-language media abroad, one of his relatives said.
Iranian officials have not yet commented on the arrest.
Valizadeh left his job at RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, which focuses on Iran, in November 2022. In his last post on Twitter on August 13, Valizadeh said he had traveled to Tehran on March 16.
The journalist said he “half-finished” negotiations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ intelligence organization, but decided to return to Iran after 14 years on his own responsibility and “without a letter of trust, even verbally”.
Iran’s security services and military have imprisoned a series of foreign and dual nationals, often using them as leverage in negotiations.
Journalists for outlets such as RFE/RL, which is funded by the US Government; BBC Persian. and Saudi-funded Iran International have been threatened inside and outside Iran. Some have been targeted with violence, while the relatives of others have been harassed and threatened with loss of property.
See also Iran Authorities Step Up Threats v. BBC Journalists
Iran Preparing for War With Israel, but Hoping to Avert It: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/world/middleeast/iran-israel-attack-plans.html
“Tehran has several plans for responding to a threatened retaliatory strike by Israel, depending on its severity, and might also do nothing, insiders say.”
IMF revises up its 2024 economic growth forecast for Iran: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/505349/IMF-revises-up-its-2024-economic-growth-forecast-for-Iran
“In its latest World Economic Outlook published on Tuesday, the IMF forecasted that Iran’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 3.7 percent this year, up from a previous estimate of 3.3 percent announced in July. That comes as IMF’s estimates show that Iran’s economy grew by 5.0 percent in 2023. The forecasts showed that inflation in Iran will decline to 31.7 percent in 2024 from 40.7 percent last year, while unemployment will drop to 8.0 percent this year from 8.1 percent in 2023”
And there is reza with his frequent HORSESHIT.
Public outrage as Iran pushes for Hezbollah donations amid economic crisis
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202410236299
Low and behold, looks like kitchen irgc commander has stuck up on some new pots with new leads.
IRGC chief moots ground offensive against Israel
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202410240140
Israel has been forced to delay a potential retaliatory attack on Iran after details of the planning were leaked from the Pentagon: https://www.thetimes.com/world/israel-hamas-war/article/israel-iran-us-intelligence-leak-hx5mcbmlr
According to the report, an intelligence source with knowledge of Israeli deliberations claims that Israel is worried that even though no potential targets were named in the leak, the details provided could help Iran predict certain patterns of attack. “The leak of the American documents delayed the attack due to the need to change certain strategies and components,” the source says. “There will be a retaliation, but it has taken longer than it was supposed to take.”
Tortured to Death: The Story of Atefeh Na’ami
https://iranwire.com/en/special-features/135364-tortured-to-death-the-story-of-atefeh-naami/
FBI investigates alleged leak of U.S. insights on Israeli war preparation: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/10/22/israel-iran-intel-leak-fbi/
Former IRGC commander expects Israel to launch a limited and symbolic strike against Iran: https://www.isna.ir/news/1403080100775
“Iran’s response depends on the scale of the enemy’s attack. If it carries out a great and significant strike, it will definitely see many times the answer to it; this matter has been announced and has existed in our plans for the past to deal with aggression and conflicts, but I can definitely assure the Iranian people that the Zionists will not make a major and significant move and that whatever they do is nothing but a desperate effort.”
Arab Nations Unite Against Iran’s Control of Persian Gulf Islands
https://iranwire.com/en/politics/135282-arab-nations-unite-against-irans-control-of-persian-gulf-islands/
Another feather in “rahbareh farzanneh’s” turban
Ten Baha’i women in Iran sentenced to a total of 90 years in prison
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202410212078
[Editor’s Note: The poll is not new — it is from January-February 2023.
In the poll, 60% support a parliamentary democracy/republic. About 12% support a constitutional monarchy, and 12% a reformed “Islamic
republic”. Only 7% support the current Islamic republic.]
New poll shows surge in support for the Islamic Republic amongst Iranian-Americans: https://paaia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-PAAIA-Survey.pdf
19% of Iranian-Americans support an Islamic system compared to just 6% 6 years ago. Nasrin Sotoudeh remians the most popular opposition figure. Support for regime change by military action has, however, risen from 10% to 18%.
The US is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents on Israel’s attack plans: https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-us-documents-attack-e7e23d09a2f1fc14498e64b38d74576f
“The investigation is examining how the documents were obtained — including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the U.S. intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack — and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, one of the officials said. As part of that investigation, officials are working to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted, the official said.”
More on the leak about Israeli preparations: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/19/us/politics/us-intelligence-israel-iran.html
“The leak of a pair of highly classified U.S. intelligence documents describing recent satellite images of Israeli military preparations for a potential strike on Iran offers a window into the intense American concerns about Israel’s plans. It also has U.S. officials working to understand the size of the improper disclosure. The two documents were prepared in recent days by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which is responsible for analyzing images and information collected by American spy satellites. They began circulating on Friday on the Telegram app and were being discussed by largely pro-Iran accounts. The documents, which offer interpretations of satellite imagery, provide insight into a potential strike by Israel on Iran in the coming days. Such a strike has been anticipated in retaliation for an Iranian assault earlier this month, which was itself a response to an Israeli attack………….The documents also discuss Israeli preparations of long-range, air-launched ballistic missiles; air-to-surface missiles; air refueling planes; and other support aircraft. The documents also say Israel was conducting covert surveillance on Iran with drones.”
Here is my take on the leaked documents:
1. They suggest Iran has spies or sympathisers in the United States Government, as with the leak last year about Robert Malley: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/488429/Final-Say
2. The leaks could just be disinformation to throw Iran off.
3. The Biden administration may have intentionally leaked the information to give Iran the heads up and limit any damage and escalation.
Another one of accomplishments of “rahbareh farzaneh”(khamenei), the empty, the incompetent leader who is hiding like a rat
EU backs Arab demands for Iran to end ‘occupation’ of islands
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202410171192
Key takeaways from new polling on Iran’s foreign policy and regional role: https://www.mei.edu/publications/key-takeaways-new-polling-irans-foreign-policy-and-regional-role
“In this new survey, most respondents say they support Iran’s military presence in the Middle East (61 percent) and that they believe Iran’s military presence in the Middle East makes them safer at home (69 percent). Apparently, for the Iranian public, their perception that the country’s foreign policy strategy has caused domestic economic issues (78 percent) does not conflict with these previous views. A larger share of the population also says that Iran’s foreign policy is contributing to tensions in the Middle East (43 percent, compared to just 18 percent who say the opposite). The relationship between military and diplomatic activity is therefore unclear in the Iranian political imagination, and thus they see no connection between Iran’s military interventionism and its diplomatic disappointments…….Most notably, while a majority believe that Iranian foreign policy is the cause of the country’s economic problems, they also back some of its key aspects, like support for the Arab militant proxy groups that are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” and Iran’s military presence in Syria.”
Never mind polls, another of your grease monkeys “saghaat shod” (got wasted)
https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-hamas-sinwar-reports-death/33162448.html
Poll shows Iranians still supportive of a nuclear deal: https://surveycenter.io/projectfuture/survey3_iran_foreign_policy/en/
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. 61% support a nuclear deal with the West compared to 20% who do not. (Q7)
2. 43% support Hamas’ actions compared to 42% who do not. (Q8)
3. 67% support normalization with the United States compared to 25% who do not (Q12)
4. 67% do not support normalization with Israel compared to 25% who do. (Q13)
5. 69% agree that Iran’s military presence in the region makes them safer compared to 25% who do not. (Q19)
6. 34% support closer ties with Russia and China compared to 34% who prioritise closer ties with the US/UK
Israel Tells U.S. It Won’t Hit Iran’s Oil or Nuclear Sites: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/15/world/middleeast/israel-iran-oil-nuclear-sites-retaliation.html
“The Israeli government has told the Biden administration that it will avoid striking nuclear enrichment and oil production sites when it makes its initial response to Iran’s recent missile attack, two officials said on Tuesday…..Even if it avoids Iran’s nuclear enrichment and oil sites, Israel could still hit a wide array of military targets. They include missile and drone launchers, missile and drone storage sites, missile and drone factories, as well as military bases and major government buildings, according to two Israeli officials briefed on the planning process, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military matters. These two officials said that Israel could also strike nuclear research laboratories, even if it avoids Iran’s subterranean nuclear enrichment sites.”
“… “half-finished” negotiations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’…”
He would have been just as successful “negotiating” with hyenas, at least they would have finished him off quickly.
There are over 80 million iranians taken hostage and are suffering, I’m afraid I have zero sympathy for this one person who walks in at his own will, actually I do have questions about that….
Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFERL), as the editor knows fully well as an academic researcher, is an organisation funded by the U.S Congress which was originally set up to broadcast anti-communist propaganda to the Eastern Bloc and Soviet Union, respectively. It differs from Voice of America (VOA) which is just a general state-run broadcaster like the BBC: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000238882.pdf
It had close ties with the CIA, which was its original funder until 1972.
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp80-01601r001300110001-8
Further information:
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/changing-scope-us-international-broadcasts