Iranian Journalist Faces Legal Action Over Reporting Teenager’s Death

The announcement by Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the Coordinating Deputy of the Islamic Republic's Army shows the disregard for arms embargoes imposed by the United States and the European Union, the military chief saying on Thursday that "the capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially in the field of military equipment, have grown and developed."

The United Nations Security Council's Resolution 2231 enforced a conventional arms embargo on Iran which expired in October 2020. Despite former President Donald Trump's efforts to extend the embargo after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018, the Security Council rejected the proposal, allowing Iran to resume arms exports, but a full embargo from the EU, from 2007, remains in place.

The expiration of UN sanctions on Iran's missile program in October has also raised concerns about the accelerated proliferation of potentially dangerous weapons. Iran is now free to sell its drones, ballistic missiles, and related long-range strike technologies to its anti-Western partners and clients and can also procure technology for further development.

The lifting of sanctions provides Iran with the opportunity to generate revenue from missile sales, potentially using the profits to finance militant and terror proxies in the Middle East.

The confirmation of Estavi's escape surfaced when a video emerged, showing him in France. Mizan, the Judiciary News Agency, unequivocally stated that Estavi had left Iran “in violation of legal prohibitions.” Estavi is under an Interpol red notice for his arrest and extradition.

Earlier this month, the Tehran Revolutionary Court's Branch Five sentenced him to 15 years in prison, 75 lashes, fines, asset forfeiture, and governmental service deprivation.

Fars News Agency, associated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that “Estavi's cooperation in addressing claims from 24,000 shareholders resulted in his release under strict supervision, coupled with the imposition of bail.”

Estavi's extensive list of charges includes forgery of official documents, selling non-existent property, and purchasing antique items.

Tajarat News recently revealed Estavi's embezzlement exceeding $20 million, further emphasizing the bleak prospects for victims seeking to recover their losses following his escape.

In April 2021, IRNA state news agency reported that Estavi had acquired the ownership rights to the first tweet in history from Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, for a sum of $2.9 million.

Estavi, who was arrested in May 2021 on charges of “disrupting the economic system and breaching trust”, was accused of unlawfully withdrawing funds from more than 51,000 Cryptoland users.

Iran's Judiciary disclosed that Cryptoland's operations were unauthorized, highlighting the illicit nature of the cryptocurrency exchange.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a post on Xthat the unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down by the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, at 11:00 (Sanaa time) on November 29.

CENTCOM identified the drone as an Iranian-produced KAS-04 and said it was launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

“Although its intentions are not known, the UAV was heading toward the warship,” added the report.

According to CENTCOM, at the time of the incident, “the USS Carney was escorting the USNS SUPPLY (Oiler) and another US flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region.”

The vessels and their crews sustained no damage or injury, the report said.

The incident came a week after the USS Thomas Hudner, another American warship deployed in the region, shot down several one-way attack drones launched by Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis.

Since Hamas’s deadly onslaught on Israel on October 7, Yemen’s Houthis, backed by the Iranian regime, have launched several drone and missile attacks against US and Israeli targets in the region.

Earlier in the month, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also shot down a cruise missile over the Red Sea before it could infiltrate into the Israeli territory.

The missile, which targeted Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat, was believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Houthis, The Times of Israel reported.

Though the Islamic Republic has avoided any direct involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the regime has used its proxy groups in the region such as Houthis and Hezbollah to attack Israel and American targets.

A US defense official told Iran International that American troops in Syria were targeted Wednesday morning, only a day after the Pentagon press secretary spoke of a lull in hostile activities since 23 November.

Also on Wednesday, an Iranian-made drone launched from Yemen was shot down by USS Carney destroyer near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

“Although its intentions are not known, the UAV was heading toward the warship,” read the statement from the US Central Command (CENTCOM). “The USS Carney was escorting the USNS SUPPLY (Oiler) and another U.S. flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region. There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and no damage to U.S. vessels.”

Since mid-October, US forces in Iraq and Syria have come under attack 74 times. It is widely believed that all have been carried out by Iran proxies. The regime officials, however, deny involvement while praising the “courage” of those they call ‘axis of resistance’ –from Iraq to Syria to Yemen and southern Lebanon.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN claimed Tuesday that his country has “never had a hand in actions or attacks against US military forces in Syria or elsewhere.”

Iran having provided financial and military support to Hamas for two decades, has preferred not get directly involved in the Gaza war, but its proxy forces conduct attacks for what they say is US support for Israel.

Biden critics say his Iran policy has emboldened the regime and its proxies, who see little downside to their adventurism. Although the US military has launched several retaliatory attacks in Syria and Iraq, but Iran's Revolutionary Guard who control the proxy forces have not been targeted. In addition, while these attacks take place, the Biden administration has allowed Iraq to release billion of dollars of frozen Iranian funds.

On Tuesday, an IRGC-affiliated news agency published a video of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower being monitored with drones while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Multiple hails and warnings were ignored by Iran,” according to a CENTCOM statement condemning the incident. “This unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior by Iran risks US and partner nation lives and needs to cease immediately.”

The Biden administration has repeatedly stated that it reserves the right to defend American troops and that it would do so with whatever means necessary. But many on the Capitol question the will and the judgment of the administration when it comes to dealing with Iran and its proxies.

“Biden unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds. Weeks later, Hamas terrorists attacked Israel,” Congressman Russell Fry posted on X Wednesday. “Iran knowingly funds Hamas. Actions have consequences. We must pass the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act, which would refreeze these funds and limit Iran's ability to fund terrorism."

A former IRGC officer Ezzatollah Zarghami recently admitted on Iranian state TV that the regime was responsible for supplying rockets to Hamas and Hezbollah.

Zarghami, currently Iran’s minister for Cultural Heritage, said: “I traveled to the region as the production manager of those rockets... I spent some time underground (inside tunnels). I held training sessions for them: on the usage of the rockets, their features. And they were successful classes.”

Khabar Online website, which is close to moderate conservatives such as former Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, describes the situation as one in which "Young radicals gallop ahead while the wise elderly are silent."

The website added that the conservative camp is left with no fair, popular and moderate politicians after some of its heavyweights died during the past years, and some others have been side-lined by loud young radicals with little if any political experience. Elder conservatives have been silenced or have chosen silence to avoid attacks by radicals.

The report also highlighted that key politicians in all factions failed to train younger successors who would replace them at one point, and this is a danger for the future of governance in Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian media quoted a report originally produced by IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency about who are likely to be the conservatives leaders and candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The names in the Tasnim report and their poor track record in management makes the threat mentioned by Khabar Online look even more serious.

According to Tasnim, incumbent Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani and the ultraconservative Paydari Party will have their separate list of candidates for the next Majles. Ghalibaf leads his group of neo-cons, Zakani is the leader of his own Rahpouyan [followers of Khomeini and Khamenei] party and fundamentalist Paydari will list some of its current lawmakers as well as new names from among young radicals.

In fact, according to conservative commentator Mohammad Mohajeri in an interview with Fararu website, Paydari is so radical that it might even go its separate way and leave President Ebrahim Raisi alone at least for the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Mohajeri accused Paydari Party of planning to restrict the entire government to radical members of the party.

Ghalibaf has recently given a name to his group of neo cons: The Association for Awakening Revolutionary Forces. The group's first gathering was also attended by vice President Mohsen Rezaei and former Majles Speaker Haddad Adel. During the meeting, Ghalibaf said that in spite of all the talk about unity, there is nothing wrong with competition among various conservative groups.

Zakani held his group's gathering about three weeks later with a smaller number of politicians present. He also rebranded his group with a new name: Tahavol Khahan which is another synonym for the Persian term Eslah Talaban (Reformists). However, this does not change the conservative and opportunist nature of the group gathered around the mayor mainly to benefit from the Tehran Municipality's vast resources.

According to Tasnim, the traditional conservatives who believe in the wisdom of their elder members, are also active in the elections under the name of Shora-ye Vahdat (The Council for Unity). That is a unity Iran's conservatives have been talking about for over 45 years. However, it never materialized thanks to rivalries and interests that divided the entire conservative camp. One of the leading faces of this group is former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki who was fired by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the middle of a meeting in Africa.

Paydari is pursuing its election agenda under the umbrella of the party and also as the re-branded political group SHARIAN, a Persian acronym for the Strategic Council of Friends of the Islamic Revolution. The group operates under Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash.

Interestingly, none of these individuals and their team members are known for any outstanding achievement, as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office continues to run and micromanage all the affairs of the state.