Latest news with #IRGC-affiliated
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Iranian regime muzzles media with grim death penalty warning
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence organisation has issued a grim warning that 'cooperation with the Mossad will result in the maximum legal punishment', effectively issuing a death penalty for communications seen as favouring Israel's attacks on Iran. In a statement shared on social media Telegram earlier today the Revolutionary Guards cited articles 6, 7, 8, and 10 of the 'Law on Combating Hostile Actions of the Zionist Regime'. 'Any form of intelligence cooperation with the Mossad, interaction or exchange of information with official or unofficial individuals affiliated with the Zionist regime, as well as any cultural, media, or propaganda activity, or assistance that supports, promotes, or legitimizes the Zionist regime, is considered a criminal offence,' under these articles, according to the statement, which adds that any perpetrators will face 'the maximum punishment'. Babak Kamiar, the head of Euronews' Persian desk, said that the impact of this will be to force local media into silence. The maximum punishment indicated in the sentence is 'the death penalty for sure', according to Kamiar. 'From this point on, nothing will be published except praise for the regime — which, of course, was to be expected,' Kamiar said. 'This will also include international media outlets that have correspondents in Iran, making our work even more difficult, as most of our information relied on domestic sources,' Kamiar added. Although state-run, semi-official, and IRGC-affiliated media had already maintained tight control over the flow of information, the situation is now expected to worsen, according to Euronews' Kamiar.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who were the Iranian commanders killed in Israel's attack?
Israel struck dozens of targets, including nuclear facilities, military sites and private residences, across Iran on Friday, killing a number of senior military commanders in what it called "Operation Rising Lion". The Israeli attacks also targeted a number of other influential figures linked to Iran's nuclear programmes, including six nuclear scientists, IRGC-affiliated news agency Tasnim reported. Dozens of civilians, including children, have also been reported killed. Here's what we know so far about the high-profile individuals among the dead. Bagheri was the highest ranking military officer in Iran, being the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces - which includes both the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the Iranian army. Bagheri joined the IRGC in 1980 aged 20 and, alongside his brother, helped establish the IRGC's intelligence unit during the Iran-Iraq war. He was considered less hardline than other commanders. He had come under criticism recently for a speech he made in April in front of the ancient ruins of Persepolis in which he called for peace and urged for the avoidance of war. Abdolrahim Mousavi has been appointed the new chief of staff of the armed forces, Iranian state news agency Irna said. He does not come from within the ranks of the IRGC, being an army general. Hossein Salami was the commander-in-chief of the IRGC. Salami joined the IRGC in 1980 during the Iran-Iraq war, and went on to become a deputy commander in 2009, before progressing to commander in 2019. Known for his ability as an orator, he took a hard-line stance towards Israel and as recently as last month said Tehran would "open the gates of hell" if attacked by either Israel or the US. Mohammad Pakpour has been appointed as the new commander of the IRGC, Iranian state media report. Gholamali Rashid was the head of the IRGC's Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates joint Iranian military operations. Rashid fought in the 1980s war with Iraq and was formerly the deputy chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. Since Rashid's death, Ali Shadmani has been appointed the emergency command's new leader, according to Iranian state media. The commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Force, Hajizadeh was a prominent figure in charge of the country's missiles programme. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hajizadeh had gathered in an underground command centre along with the majority of the IRGC's air force commanders to prepare for an attack on Israel. The IDF said the group was then killed in a strike targeting the building. It said Hajizadeh commanded Iran's missile attacks on Israel in October and April last year. Hajizadeh was regarded less favourably by members of Iran's general public after he took responsibility for downing a Ukrainian passenger plane flying out of Tehran in 2020, which killed all 176 people on board. Abbasi, a nuclear scientist, served as the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation between 2011 and 2013. He went on to be a member of parliament from 2020 to 2024. He promoted hardline positions to do with Iran's nuclear activities. In May, he spoke on Iranian TV channel about potentially building a nuclear weapon, and said he would willingly carry out orders to do so if he received them. A number of other nuclear scientists are also reported by Iranian state media to have been killed. They are: Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, who was also the head of Azad University in Tehran Abdulhamid Minouchehr, head of nuclear engineering at Iran's Shahid Beheshti University Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, a nuclear engineering professor at Shahid Beheshti University Amirhossein Feqhi, another nuclear professor at Shahid Beheshti University Live: Latest updates as Israel targets Iran's nuclear sites Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief, killed by Israel Why Israel has decided to inflict damage on Iran's elite now What we know about Israel's attacks on Iran BBC Verify Live: Tracking Israel's strikes on Iran using verified video
Asharq Al-Awsat
19-03-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Cyber Group Disrupts Communication Networks of Iranian Oil Fleet
A hacker group has disrupted the communication networks of ships belonging to two major Iranian shipping companies sanctioned by the US. The group, called Lab Dookhtegan or 'Read My Lips', said it has disrupted the communication networks of 116 ships and therefore, severed the ships' connections to each other, their ports, and external communication channels, according to a report by Iran International. The attack, the report said, was timed to coincide with US military operations against the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis. 'As part of this operation, we targeted the communication network 50 ships belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) and 66 ships belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL),' the report added. The ships belong to two major Iranian companies sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have tightened their grip on the country's oil industry and control up to half the exports that generate most of Tehran's revenue and fund its proxies across the Middle East, according to Reuters. All aspects of the oil business have come under the growing influence of the IRGC, from the shadow fleet of tankers that secretively ship sanctioned crude, to logistics and the front companies selling the oil, mostly to China, according to more than a dozen people interviewed by Reuters. By disrupting ship communications, Lab Dookhtegan said on Tuesday it has significantly hindered operations, adding that full restoration of the affected systems could take weeks. 'Ship personnel can no longer communicate with one another, and their connection to the ports and outside world has been severed,' Iran International said. US President Donald Trump's administration is considering a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under an international accord aimed at countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Trump has vowed to restore 'maximum pressure' campaign to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports to zero, in order to stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Lab Dookhtegan said the attack coincided with its sixth anniversary and aims to demonstrate the scale and depth of its cooperation with individuals within the Iranian regime. The group is known for previous cyber activities against Iran's military and intelligence operations. In July 2022, the group revealed the identity of IRGC-affiliated hackers who exploited European, Australian and US individuals and institutions in order to carry out ransomware activities.
