TOP STORIES
The nation’s federal law enforcement and election security agencies are debunking two new examples of Russian election disinformation on the eve of Election Day, highlighting attempts by foreign actors to sow doubt in the U.S. voting process and warning that the efforts run the risk of inciting violence against election officials. In a joint statement late Monday, federal officials pointed to a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming that U.S. officials across presidential swing states were orchestrating a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona.
A Russian rocket on Tuesday blasted off successfully to carry a pair of Iranian satellites into orbit, a launch that reflected growing cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. The Soyuz rocket lifted off as scheduled from Vostochny launchpad in far eastern Russia and put its payload into a designated orbit nine minutes after the launch. It was carrying two Russian Ionosphere-M Earth observation satellites and several dozen smaller satellites, including the two Iranian ones. Iran’s two satellites, named Kowsar and Hodhod, were the first launched on behalf of the country’s private sector. In 2022, a Russian rocket launched an Iranian Earth observation satellite called Khayyam that was built in Russia on Tehran’s order, and in February Russia put another Iranian satellite named Pars-1 into orbit.
Class Notes Reveal Hamas Drawing On Arms Training From Iran | Bloomberg
Besieged and degraded after more than a year of war, pockets of Hamas fighters in northern Gaza have been dogging the Israeli army with what are often makeshift munitions. That’s precisely what their sponsors in Tehran intended. Fourteen pages of notes, interspersed with sketches of drone avionics and rocket nose-cones, provide a glimpse of what intelligence officers say has been secret training within Iran for Hamas members tasked with creating a homegrown arsenal. As troops and tanks have churned through Gaza, cutting off weapons supply lines and penning in areas where insurgency still simmers, knowledge of how to improvise is especially valuable to the surviving Hamas fighters.
UANI IN THE NEWS
How Sanctioned Iranian Oil Navigates Through A Dark And Twisted Supply Chain To China | Trade Winds
When a sanctioned suezmax tanker offloaded its cargo of oil at China’s port of Tianjin, it was the end of an odyssey from Iran that included three transfers and four vessels... This story provides a detailed account, with information from Kpler and advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and publicly available information published by the US Treasury Department, of how Tehran’s oil makes its way to China. The cargo offloaded from the Ohar started where most Iranian cargoes begin: Kharg Island.
Iran May Use More Powerful Weapons In Next Attack On Israel | Iran International
Iran's strike against Israel could be as early as after US elections polls close and will likely involve Israel's air defenses being the main targets in this round of the long-range missile war... Jason Brodsky, the policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran, said Iran's army along with proxies and the IRGC could assist Iran's air force and navy. Brodsky said of note is Artesh's role during the Syrian civil war and its fighter jets striking ISIS in Iraq in 2014. "The army’s air force and navy platforms have the capability of launching missiles and drones at Israeli targets. That combined with IRGC missiles and drones launched from either Iran or Iraq, Syria, and Yemen is a very realistic possibility," he added.
Jewish groups mourned the execution of Arvin Netanel Ghahremani, 20, in Iran on Monday and condemned the Islamic Republic for its decision to kill the young Jew, who allegedly killed a man in self-defense... “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps terrorists reportedly pressured the victim’s family not to accept a financial settlement to prevent the execution,” wrote Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran. “No surprise in timing in the executions here of Jamshid Sharmahd and now Ghahremani as the regime wants to send a message at home that it is still in control despite its losses against Israel.”
Israeli-Iranians Caught In Standoff, Mourn Execution Of Jewish Iranian | Iran International
The execution of an Iranian Jew on Monday has drawn criticism from a top rights monitor and highlights the anguish of the community as it is increasingly torn between the Islamic Republic and Jewish state... Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against a Nuclear Iran, said Iran “wants to send a message at home that it is still in control despite its losses against Israel” after last month’s air attacks which destroyed swathes of Iran’s air defenses.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Rejects Nuclear Weapons But Will ‘Defend Itself By All Means’ | Newsweek
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran said the country "rejects weapons of mass destruction," but that Tehran will equip itself "to the extent necessary" to protect the country, according to Iran International. During a press conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei spoke about Iran's nuclear program amid tensions between itself, the United States, and Israel, following Tel Aviv's recent attack. Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran for comment via email. Baghaei said: "The official stance of Iran in rejecting weapons of mass destruction and regarding the peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear program is clear."
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran’s Currency Weakens To Record Low As Israel Tension Rises | Bloomberg
Iran’s rial weakened to a fresh record low on the unregulated market as investors prepare for a potential escalation of the military standoff between the Islamic Republic and arch-enemy Israel. The US dollar has been trading at levels close to 700,000 rials since Sunday, according to an average of rates and prices quoted by Tehran-based traders on Telegram and the website Bonbast.com. The Iranian currency has lost about 27% of its value against the greenback this year, with the weakening accelerating since late September, when Israel stepped up its offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran To Hike Subsidized Aviation Fuel Prices 11-Fold | Iran International
Iran is set to increase the price of aviation fuel, a move that could significantly impact airfares for domestic flights while the government is testing waters for raising regular gasoline prices. According to the head of Iran’s Airlines Association, the government’s proposed budget for the next Iranian year (which starts March 21) includes a plan to raise fuel costs for airlines from 6,000 rials (less than one US cent) to 70,000 (about 10 cents), potentially leading to higher operating costs and, consequently, higher ticket prices for passengers. Airlines in Iran receive heavily subsidized fuel, which contributes to lower ticket prices. The aviation fuel is subsidized more than twice as much as gasoline and diesel sold for passenger cars, buses and trucks.
Iran Oil Prices To China At Multi-Year High After Exports Fall, Sources Say | Reuters
Discounts on Iranian crude oil sold to China are at their tightest in around five years as lower exports drive up prices amid concerns that Middle East tensions may disrupt supply, trading sources said. The discounts are the narrowest since Chinese independent refiners, known as teapots, stepped in as buyers in late 2019, filling a vacuum left by the country's state refiners wary of sanctions reinstated on Iran by the United States a year earlier. Higher prices or a reduction in Iranian oil flows, which make up 10% of China's crude imports, would depress already low production at independent plants and further squeeze their razor-thin margins amid sluggish Chinese fuel demand.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iranian Female Student Who Stripped In Public Is ‘Troubled’, Says Government | Reuters
A female student who stripped to her underwear at an Iranian university does not represent a security issue but is a "troubled individual" who is receiving treatment, a government spokesperson said. The young woman undressed on Saturday at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran, an act that was widely perceived on social media as a protest against Iran's strict Islamic dress code. "Instead of viewing this issue under a security lens, we are rather looking at it with a social lens and seek to solve the problems of this student as a troubled individual," government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday in the first official reaction to the event. She said that the young woman, named as Ahoo Daryaei on social media, had been transferred from a police station to a treatment centre, but did not say what treatment she would receive.
Dissidents Chide Iran For Gaslighting Student Who Stripped On Campus | Iran International
Prominent activists and human rights advocates have condemned Iranian authorities for labeling a young female student from Tehran's Azad University as mentally ill after she stripped in apparent protest at an assault by security forces over her clothing. Footage circulated widely on Saturday showing the woman in her underwear on campus, with officers seen taking her into custody by force. A university official said the student had been sent to a police station for “severe psychological distress,” mirroring claims from media linked to the IRGC that she had mental health issues.
Rights Group Calls For Iran To Compensate Afghan Migrant Victims | Amu TV
A prominent Afghan women’s rights group is demanding compensation from Iran over a deadly incident involving Afghan migrants at the Kalagan-Saravan border. The group, known as the Purple Saturday Movement, led by Maryam Marouf Arwin, held indoor protests in both Kabul and Tehran, calling for Iran to be held accountable for the incident, in which two Afghan migrants were confirmed dead. The movement urged Iran to address allegations of mistreatment and racism against Afghan migrants, appealing to international human rights organizations to launch an independent investigation into the full scale of the casualties.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials are warning that Russia is intensifying its already robust effort to subvert confidence in the presidential election on Tuesday by manufacturing false videos and promoting phony allegations of fraud in swing states to stoke division and sow fear. In a statement on Monday night, three major intelligence agencies — the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the F.B.I. and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — said that Russia, and to a lesser extent Iran, would most likely flood social media with misinformation on Election Day and for weeks afterward.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
IDF Heightens State Of Alert In Anticipation Of Iranian Response | The Jerusalem Post
The IDF has heightened its state of alert and readiness in anticipation of a possible Iranian response to the recent Israeli strike, military sources said on Monday. This increased vigilance includes daily situational assessments across all branches and divisions of the IDF General Staff, including the Home Front Command. Intelligence gathering efforts have been intensified through various methods involving the entire intelligence community. At the same time, the Israeli air force remains on high alert, focusing on its control and air defense systems.
Muhammad Sinwar Acting As De Facto Head Of Hamas Military Wing | The Times Of Israel
Yahya Sinwar’s brother Muhammad has been operating as the de facto leader of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza, alongside a small council of top commanders, the Kan public broadcaster reports. There was no formal appointment of Muhammad Sinwar by Hamas, which has yet to confirm the death of its former military wing chief Muhammad Deif, who Israel says it killed in a July airstrike.
IRAQ & IRAN
Iraq Militia Vows To Strike US Bases If Airspace Used to Hit Iran | Newsweek
The political chief of a leading Iraqi militia has told Newsweek that U.S. military bases in the region would face new attacks if Israel or the United States used Iraqi territory to strike at Iran. The comments by Sheikh Ali al-Asadi, head of the Political Council of the Nujaba Movement, also known as Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, came in the wake of an unprecedented series of Israeli strikes conducted against Iran late last month in which Iraqi airspace is suspected of being used. Asadi, however, disputed this version of events. "The information we have is that the entity used Syrian airspace over American bases and from the airspace of Jordan and Saudi Arabia," Asadi told Newsweek, "and its story that it used Iraqi airspace is to save face and confuse the cards."
Top Cleric Argues For Iraqi Monopoly On Arms In Rebuke To Iran-Linked Groups | Iran International
Iraq’s foremost Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has urged Baghdad to limit armed power to the government and protect its sovereignty from external interference, in an apparent veiled rebuke of Iran's influence on armed groups. Meeting Monday with Mohamed al-Hassan, head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), al-Sistani was quoted by the official Iraq News Agency as saying Iraq's progress depends on putting weapons in the state's hands and checking outsiders.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Iran Says French Couple Imprisoned Since 2022 ‘In Good Health’ | Barron’s
Iran said Tuesday that French nationals Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, jailed since 2022, are "in good health", denying recent claims of deteriorating conditions. "The two are... in good health, so any claim regarding their poor condition is denied," judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters in Tehran, citing a report from the authorities. Kohler and her partner have been jailed in Iran since May 2022 on charges of espionage, a capital offence in the Islamic republic. In October 2022, Iran's state television broadcast what it said were "espionage confessions" by the two French detainees. The French government condemned the airing of the alleged confessions as "shameful, revolting and unacceptable" and described the pair as "state hostages".
MISCELLANEOUS
Iran has sentenced three people to death over the 2020 assassination of one of the country’s top nuclear scientists, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the judiciary says. “The judicial processes of these three people were carried out in the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, and they were sentenced to death in the initial stage, and the case is currently in the appeal stage,” judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir tells a Tehran press conference. Fakhrizadeh was killed when his car was ambushed on a highway outside the capital in November 2020, in an attack Iran blamed on Israel.