Iran regime's January crackdown murdered 221 children

In late December 2025, economic grievances ignited nationwide protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran that rapidly escalated into systemic demands for fundamental political change. Spreading across all 31 provinces and reaching roughly 200 cities, the demonstrations posed a profound challenge to the ruling clerical regime.

The Tehran government answered these domestic demonstrations with unbridled lethal force, mass arrests, and an immediate digital blackout to obscure its actions from the international community. According to the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, security forces—utilizing elements such as the Basij—transitioned from standard crowd-control measures to live ammunition on 8 and 9 January. Over this critical 48-hour period, state forces fired directly into crowds of demonstrators and bystanders alike, committing what has been termed a large-scale massacre.

While Iranian authorities have acknowledged a death toll exceeding 3,000, and human rights organizations have verified more than 6,000 fatalities, classified documents cited by outlets such as Iran International and subsequent assessments place the true total of those killed at approximately 40,000. Among the casualties documented by the United Nations mission were at least 221 children, including infants as young as four months old, alongside thousands of others who suffered severe wounds and amputations.

Following the initial suppression of the streets, the regime institutionalized its crackdown through the accelerated use of the death penalty. Human Rights Watch notes that at least 29 individuals arrested in connection with the protests were executed between March and August 2026, often following expedited trials characterized by coerced confessions and the systemic denial of legal representation. Dozens of additional prisoners remain under imminent sentence of death.

Despite the scale of these atrocities, international institutions and Western governments have largely sustained a disproportionate focus on traditional geopolitical flashpoints. Observers note a stark double standard: while specialized United Nations mandates target democratic states, the egregious crimes against humanity perpetrated by the regime in Tehran continue to escape commensurate diplomatic censure, formal indictment before the International Criminal Court, or dedicated investigative mechanisms commensurate with a tragedy claiming tens of thousands of lives.

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Trump hails Iraqi prime minister as ‘fantastic guy’ as Iraq seeks sanctions exemption

President Trump shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as they participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 2026. (Reuters/Evan Vucci)

NEW YORK — After a brief meeting at the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump officially announced that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has achieved the highest honor attainable in modern international diplomacy: being a fantastic guy.

"It went great. He's a fantastic man. He's a friend of mine. I endorsed him, right? I mean, I endorsed him, the Iraqi prime minister, he's a fantastic guy," Trump said Saturday when simply asked how the meeting went.

The glowing endorsement arrived just as the Office of Iraq’s Prime Minister announced Saturday it is in talks with the U.S. Treasury Department to secure an exemption linked to the shutdown of Iranian airlines.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had previously announced that all Iranian airlines will be "shut down" starting Wednesday during the Operation Economic Outcast pressure campaign against the regime in Tehran.

Upon realizing that "shut down" meant actual planes would stop flying, Iraqi officials immediately requested a special pass.

"The Iraqi government is conducting direct dialogue with the American side to exempt some Iraqi airports from these measures, in a manner that allows the resumption of air travel, for humanitarian reasons related to treatment, study, religious visits, and civilian interests," the Iraq Prime Minister’s Office said Saturday.

Middle Eastern diplomats then released a carefully worded statement urging everyone to just calm down and talk it out.

"While the Iraqi government is working to de-escalate the situation in the region, it affirms that the continuation of crises complicates the scene further, and calls on all parties to engage in dialogue and negotiation to reach solutions that end the current crisis and conflicts, in a way that achieves the interests of the region's countries and peoples," it added.

At press time, Treasury officials were reviewing the exemption request while trying to determine if being a "fantastic guy" carries official diplomatic immunity from economic sanctions.

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Jihadi Democrat Abdul El-Sayed refuses to condemn IRGC

The Democrats’ jihadist nominee for the Senate in Michigan was asked a straightforward question at a town hall in Ann Arbor on Wednesday: would he condemn the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?

He declined to do so.

As reported by Newsweek, Iman Dashti, an attendee who identified himself as Persian, informed the candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, that his own family had suffered persecution at the hands of the regime in Tehran. 

Dashti noted his dismay over leaked audio in which El-Sayed refused to comment on the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after U.S. strikes, remarking at the time that “there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today.”

“That silence had a gaping hole in our community,” Dashti said, before pressing El-Sayed to clarify whether “you stand unequivocally against the IRGC?”

Rather than offering a clear rejection of a brutal state apparatus, El-Sayed offered a studied evasion, replying, “I will always stand for and with democratic movements,” while adding that he opposed U.S. involvement in regime change. Of course, in actuality, El-Sayed opposes the U.S. in general. His good buddy, Hasan Piker, had openly said that the United States deserved 911.

The voter who posed the question was under no illusions about the reason for this hesitation. Speaking later on Fox News, he observed that “a lot of his supporters are very supportive of these institutions, the IRGC. They love the Iranian regime and he doesn’t want to alienate them.”

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Trump Warns Iran That Every Attacked Ship Means One Destroyed Bridge Or Power Plant

In a clear and direct ultimatum President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will respond to every Iranian attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz by bombing one Iranian bridge or power plant.

Targets near or inside Tehran itself are now on the table according to the president.

Trump’s post read: “From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran,”

The warning came after the United States finished its eleventh straight night of strikes against Iranian military sites and facilities.

Diplomatic efforts have produced no visible progress while Iran keeps attacking ships and keeps the crucial waterway largely closed. Those of us who know about taqiyya are not at all surprised. Iran has been stalling for time and have no intentions of curtailing their nuclear ambitions.

That strait once carried a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas during normal times. Iranian leaders may soon find themselves short on bridges to cross rivers and short on power plants to keep the lights on.

Trump has simply spelled out the price of continued aggression in terms even the regime in Tehran should understand. This approach marks a sharp break from the endless talks and empty warnings that achieved nothing in the past.

Unfortunately, I believe it's highly unlikely Iran will end the hostilities. Terrorists in suits are still terrorists and will never change.

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IRGC Boldly Warns World to Stay Out of Its Strait of Hormuz, Denounces Big Bad American 'Adventurism'

AI generated

TEHRAN—In what military analysts are calling "peak Persian tough-guy theater," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took to the airwaves Thursday morning to flex its nautical muscles over the Strait of Hormuz, reminding everyone that the world's most critical oil chokepoint now belongs to them and their speedboats.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy warned Thursday that foreign powers have “no stake” in the Strait of Hormuz and said U.S. involvement in determining traffic routes through the key waterway would draw a “crushing response.”

In a statement, the IRGC Navy accused Washington of “adventurism and interference” as tensions rise over commercial shipping in one of the world’s most important oil corridors. Because nothing says "legitimate maritime power" like a theocratic regime that treats international waters like its personal driveway.

American bases in the region would be targeted if what the IRGC called “U.S. aggression” is repeated, according to state media. This threat lands with all the intimidating force of a guy yelling at clouds while hiding behind his mullah.

The IRGC also claimed Iran had increased vessel transit through the strait over the past two weeks, but said recent U.S. actions had seriously disrupted the process of reopening the route. Transit capacity under Iran's supervision had recovered to about 50% of pre-war levels over the past two weeks, the IRGC claimed, adding that transit capacity was only being expanded for vessels granted permits to use routes designated by Iran. Translation: "Please ignore the burning tankers and our history of piracy. We're very good at this."

The warning comes as the U.S. and Iran trade strikes and threats over maritime security in the Gulf, with Washington saying its military operations are aimed at protecting commercial vessels and civilian mariners. You know, that crazy outdated concept called "freedom of navigation" that used to matter before we decided strong countries aren't allowed to act strong anymore.

Tehran has since taken effective control of the strait, allowing it to force a stalemate in its confrontation with the world's most powerful military. Nothing quite like a regime that can't feed its own people lecturing the U.S. Navy on naval strategy."The U.S. has yet to learn that bullying and breaking its commitments no longer come without a cost. Let me be clear: If you strike, you will be struck back," Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, wrote Wednesday night on X."The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through U.S. threats."

Meanwhile, the U.S. military continues polishing its very large arsenal, wondering if the mullahs have ever seen what happens when America stops pretending these threats are serious.

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IDF confirms strikes on Iran, explosions reported across multiple Iranian cities

The Middle East remains a giant powder keg, and on Sunday, Israel reminded the Iranian regime that if you FA you're gonna FO.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Israeli warplanes struck targets in western and central Iran following Tehran’s latest barrage of ballistic missiles aimed at northern Israel. The IDF released a brief statement confirming the operation.

“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran,” the military said, adding that more details would be released later.

Reports quickly surfaced of explosions rocking multiple Iranian cities. Reuters, citing local media, said blasts were heard in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan, a sign that the strikes were not isolated or symbolic.

The Israeli response came only hours after Iran launched another wave of ballistic missiles toward northern Israel, continuing the regime’s long-running strategy of escalation through direct attacks and proxy warfare.

According to Reuters and Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed Israel used “air-launched” ballistic missiles in the operation targeting sites inside Iran.

At this stage, the full extent of the damage remains unclear, but one thing is obvious: Israel is signaling that Iranian aggression will not go unanswered. The Netanyahu government has made it abundantly clear throughout this conflict that it intends to hit back hard whenever Tehran tests the limits.

And now, with explosions reported deep inside Iran itself, the regime is getting a firsthand look at what escalation really means.

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Trump says Iran's military is "totally destroyed"

President Donald Trump says Iran’s military has been “totally destroyed” following the latest round of U.S. and Israeli strikes, which is not exactly the sort of Yelp review the ayatollahs were hoping for.

During an interview with NBC News’s Kristen Welker on Friday, Trump claimed Iran has only “maybe 21%, 22% of their missiles” remaining after weeks of coordinated attacks on military infrastructure.

“We know where their drones are, and we know where their drone factories are. Most of the drone factories have been knocked out… and most of the missile manufacturing areas have been knocked out,” Trump said.

Somewhere in Tehran, a government spokesman is probably insisting this is all part of a long-term strategic plan while standing in front of a smoking crater where a missile depot used to be.

When Welker pressed Trump on whether he knew exactly how many missiles and drones Iran still possesses, Trump responded that he knows “almost to the number” what remains in Tehran’s arsenal, though he declined to provide specifics.

“They have some missiles. They have some drones,” Trump stated.

In other words, Iran has enough to remain annoying, but not enough to keep pretending they’re the regional superpower of the apocalypse.

Trump emphasized that while 21% still represents “a lot of missiles,” it is dramatically lower than what Iran possessed before the strikes began on February 28. That has to sting for a regime that spent decades pouring money into missile programs while its citizens stood in line for basic necessities.

The Iranian leadership, according to Trump, is having a hard time accepting its new reality.

“I think they can't believe they're in the situation where they've been virtually decapitated,” Trump said. “They're proud. There are things they never thought they'd be doing that they're going to have to do. They've got no choice.”

That may be the understatement of the year. The regime spent generations cultivating the image of untouchable revolutionary strength, only to discover that modern warfare is less forgiving than a campus protest at an Ivy League university.

Trump also told reporters Wednesday that negotiations with Iran are “going well,” though he cautioned that a final agreement “might not happen.” He added that a deal “could happen over the weekend.”

The president noted that it would be “very easy” for the U.S. military to resume strikes, but said he would prefer “get something down in writing which will accomplish the same thing without killing everybody.”

Which is classic Trump diplomacy: negotiate from a position of overwhelming strength while reminding the other side that the alternative option is still sitting on the table polishing its boots.

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Israel and Lebanon agree on a US-brokerred deal to ceasefire

The Department of State on Wednesday announced that the United States has brokered a major ceasefire breakthrough between Israel and Lebanon.

One should pause at such a declaration. For decades the border between Israel and Lebanon has served as a theater of managed violence, where the ambitions of a distant theocracy in Tehran have been permitted to play out through the proxy army known as Hezbollah. Now, after negotiations that began on May 29 and culminated in a trilateral meeting held June 2-3, something resembling progress is claimed, but let's breathe.

“As a result of the U.S. led negotiations, Israel and Lebanon agreed to the implementation of a ceasefire,” the department said in a joint statement.

“Israel and Lebanon reaffirmed that they have no hostile intent toward one another and committed to continuing direct negotiations to build confidence, resolve all outstanding issues, and work toward a comprehensive agreement between the two countries.”

The conditions attached to this deal reveal its fragility and its realism. 

The agreement is conditional upon Hezbollah, that Iran-backed, Lebanon-based terrorist group, ceasing all attacks, withdrawing its fighters from southern Lebanon’s South Litani Sector, and preventing the re-emergence of non-state armed groups. Pilot zones are to be established under the exclusive control of the Lebanese Armed Forces. These measures, modest as they are, acknowledge a truth too often evaded in diplomatic circles: that Lebanon has for years been less a sovereign state than a hostage held by an Iranian militia.

“Hezbollah is not just an enemy of Israel and an enemy of America, but that it is an enemy of Lebanon,” officials said.

Here at last is language that refuses the usual equivocations. Hezbollah has bled Lebanon dry, turning a once-prosperous country into a launchpad for rockets and a pawn in regional conquest. Its disarmament and removal from the border are not optional extras in any serious peace process. They are the precondition for Lebanon’s own survival as anything other than a forward operating base for the Islamic Republic.

Both sides are scheduled to meet again during the week of June 22 to continue negotiations toward a comprehensive peace treaty. Any permanent agreement to end hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments and brokered by the U.S., the department added.Whether this fragile framework holds will depend on something rarely discussed in the polite language of State Department statements: the willingness of the West to enforce consequences when Iran and its proxies test the limits, as they inevitably will. 

Ceasefires between Israel and its neighbors have too often served only as pauses for rearmament. This one, if it is to mean anything, must mark the beginning of Hezbollah’s strategic defeat and the slow reclamation of Lebanese sovereignty. The stakes could scarcely be higher, for Israel’s security, for Lebanon’s future, and for the credibility of American diplomacy in a region that has learned to measure resolve by deeds rather than declarations.

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US Strikes Iranian Boats, Missile Launch Sites In 'Self Defense,' Says CENTCOM

TEHRAN — In what military officials are calling a masterclass in "measured restraint," the United States launched pinpoint strikes on Iranian boats and missile sites Tuesday, proving once again that nothing says "ongoing ceasefire" quite like explosions, shock and awe, and sinking vessels.

"US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire," CENTCOM spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said regarding the strikes.The US military carried out self-defense strikes in southern Iran against targets including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, Fox News reported on Tuesday.

“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said.

“US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” he added.

According to reports, two Iranian boats were spotted laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, an act of aggression so shocking it only took the U.S. military a few hours to respond with overwhelming firepower. Forces also responded after a missile site had targeted US warplanes, said the official.

He also confirmed that the US struck a surface-to-air missile (SAM) site in Bandar Abbas, following reports of explosions in the city by Iranian media. Other explosions were reported close to Sirik and Jask, located near the strait, in what Iranian state media described as "totally normal Tuesday activities."

The official told Fox News that the strikes were "defensive," while two additional sources said that the strikes do not indicate that the ceasefire with Iran is over. Because nothing screams "ceasefire" like U.S. jets turning missile sites into parking lots.

Explosions were heard on Monday in various regions across the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fox. The official said that the US strikes were "over for now," which is Pentagon-speak for "until the next time they look at us funny."

At press time, Iran was reportedly considering a strongly-worded statement, while the U.S. Navy practiced its trademark "restraint" by not turning the entire region into a smoking crater.

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Iran Signals ‘Mass Sacrifice’ By Dusting Off Saddam-Era Participation Trophy While Trump Deal Is Already “Largely Negotiated”

TEHRAN—In a bold diplomatic masterstroke, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reminded the world that his country is totally ready to throw another generation of young men into the meat grinder, just like the good old days, all while Trump’s team casually confirms the deal is basically done.

The remarks came as President Donald Trump said a deal with Tehran is "largely negotiated" but warned the U.S. could walk away entirely if the mullahs keep cosplaying 1982.

Pezeshkian invoked one of Iran’s strongest wartime symbols on May 24, signaling Tehran’s ironclad resolve to maybe, possibly, kind of fight the U.S. and Israel if they absolutely have to, according to a counterterrorism expert who sounded very impressed.

While Iran signaled broad agreement with Washington on some points, it emphasized that a final deal is not imminent because nothing says “serious negotiation partner” like publicly hyping up mass human sacrifice right before signing the paperwork.

In an X post marking the anniversary of the 1982 recapture of Khorramshahr from Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War, Pezeshkian said, "Khorramshahr today is Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz," adding that "resistance, self-sacrifice, and repelling aggression are rooted in the culture of this land."

Analysts claimed Pezeshkian was deliberately invoking one of the deepest ideological touchstones of the Islamic Republic, you know, that time they spent eight years and a million lives to win back one city from Saddam.

"This is the Iran-Iraq War reference, and the timing is the point," said Dr. Omar Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative Program on Extremism at George Washington University.

"This is one of the Islamic Republic’s foundational mythological moments, civilian resistance, mass sacrifice, repelling an ‘aggressor army.’ Roughly what the Great Patriotic War is to Russia. The rhetorical move is the extension," Mohammed told Fox News Digital.

"He’s mapping the 1980-82 defensive-war frame onto the current confrontation: Iran attacked by an aggressor, ordinary citizens (‘battle-untested but brave’) expected to stand and fight, with ‘resistance, sacrifice, repelling aggression’ cast as the cultural default mode."

Some of the phrasing, Mohammed said, also evokes volunteer and Basij fighters versus a professional invading army — or as the rest of the world calls it, “the Iranian business model.”

"Invoking the strait inside a wartime-mobilization frame, even rhetorically, is a deliberate signal, not throat-clearing," he added.

"The Khorramshahr frame is the deepest register the regime has. It’s what they reach for to signal existential war, not a managed crisis."

Mohammed explained that Pezeshkian’s X post is framing the current confrontation from the presidential account to send a "high-stakes message."

"It’s also a tell on internal posture: Khorramshahr, in short, means ‘we are being invaded and we will not negotiate,’" he added, “unless the deal is really, really good and Trump throws in some sanctions relief and maybe a new soccer stadium.”Sources say the tough talk is playing beautifully on Iranian state TV, where viewers are encouraged to cheer loudly while quietly hoping their kids don’t get volunteered for the next glorious mass sacrifice.


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The Junior Ayatollah dead or gravely injured as succession is Iran's next crisis, expert says

Iran regime power players may eye Russia in Assad-style escape as US talks falter: expert
Expert says top commanders like Ghalibaf might head to Moscow while lower figures seek shelter in Iraq or Afghanistan

The apparent collapse of high-stakes U.S.-Iran negotiations has intensified fears that senior figures inside Tehran’s leadership could flee to Russia, seeking refuge to "continue their insurgency and undermine any new regime," an analyst warns.

The breakdown in talks comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told CBS’ "60 Minutes" that toppling Iran’s regime could now even be a realistic outcome.

Netanyahu noted that any collapse would dismantle the "scaffolding" of Tehran's global terror proxy network, also potentially ending Hezbollah's influence in the region.

"The whole scaffolding of the terrorist proxy network that Iran built collapses if the regime in Iran collapses," Netanyahu said.

President Donald Trump said U.S. military strikes on Iran were so effective they eliminated much of the regime’s anticipated leadership succession bench, raising questions about who will lead the Islamic Republic. (Mohsen Ganji/AP:Office of Supreme Leader of Iran)

"I think you can’t predict when that will happen. Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No," he warned.

With diplomatic options perhaps exhausted and the regime's stability in question, an expert suggests the exit strategy any leadership may be eyeing might be similar to that of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled Syria in 2024.

"If the situation deteriorates further, some senior figures could potentially follow a path like Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle and seek refuge in Russia," Middle East expert Saeid Golkar told Fox News Digital.

While top commanders would possibly be Moscow-bound, lower-ranking figures would more likely head for Iraq or Afghanistan, Middle East expert Saeid Golkar told Fox News Digital. 

Golkar, a senior adviser at United Against Nuclear Iran, noted that flight destinations would likely depend on rank.

While top commanders like Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf might head to Moscow, lower-ranking figures would more likely seek shelter in Iraq or Afghanistan, where the IRGC maintains operational connections, he clarified.

"For the most senior figures, Russia would probably be the most likely destination, again as we saw with Bashar al-Assad," Golkar said, noting many officials have already moved wealth into "financial networks outside Iran."

The current crisis started following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in 2026 during the onset of Operation Epic Fury.

While his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named successor, reports continue to indicate he was severely injured in the strikes and has been absent from recent negotiations.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader of Iran and second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is "either dead or in bad condition," according to Golkar. (Hamed Jafarnejad/ISNA/WANA/Reuters)

Golkar explained that the "invisible state," or Bayt-e Rahbari, was designed to survive decapitation, while the ideological cost of fleeing for leaders would be high.

"Inside the regime’s ideological culture, leaving the country during the collapse would look like desertion," Golkar noted.

However, as military fractures deepen and succession remains uncertain, the "Assad model" of seeking Russian protection appears increasingly attractive to those at the top.

Mojtaba, however, is "either dead or in bad condition, that he cannot send any video or voice message," Golkar added.

"If he had died from his injuries, there was no clear natural successor. He was the continuation of the regime."

"Still, the system was designed for continuity during a crisis," Golkar said, adding that the goal is to "make sure the regime could survive even if formal institutions were damaged, leaders were killed, or civilian government stopped functioning."

"I would describe it as a regime designed not just to govern, but always to try and survive decapitation," Golkar added.

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Iran executes dozens of citizens, arrests over 4,000

Jr. Supreme "Leader"

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has accused Iran’s regime of dramatically intensifying its brutal crackdown on dissent in the wake of the February conflict. He warned that Tehran has unleashed a storm of executions, mass arrests, torture, and one of the longest internet shutdowns the world has ever seen, all while cowering behind the threadbare excuse of national security.

In a sharply worded statement from Geneva, Türk reported that at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since February 28. This comes as the regime faces growing international scrutiny over its sweeping assault on fundamental rights.

"I am appalled that, on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict, the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities in harsh and brutal ways," Türk said. 

Since the conflict began two months ago, the U.N. noted that nine people have been executed over the January 2026 protests, 10 for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges. Estimates put the death toll from regime forces during January’s uprising at around 40,000.

Türk slammed Iran’s broad use of vaguely defined national security laws, which have allowed authorities to fast-track prosecutions, deny legal counsel, and rely on coerced confessions. "Even where national security is invoked, human rights can only be limited where strictly necessary and proportionate," he said. 

He called on Tehran to halt executions, impose a moratorium on capital punishment, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained. The chances of their cooperation is almost nil.

This is the grim reality of a regime that has never known restraint when it comes to its own people. The mullahs' grip on power has always been secured not by consent, but by the scaffold, the prison cell, and the calculated erasure of any voice that dares to challenge their theocratic tyranny. 

What we are witnessing is not mere "crackdown," a word too sanitized for such savagery, but the predictable reflex of a frightened, illegitimate power that understands its survival depends on terror. The figures are not abstractions; they are the broken bodies and silenced futures of Iranians who asked, in the simplest terms, for dignity. And still the world watches, offering statements while the nooses tighten.

Keep the pressure on, President Trump  and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

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Khamenei Jr. Reportedly 'Mentally Sharp' Despite Being Turned Into Human Swiss Cheese By U.S. Airstrikes

TEHRAN -- Iran's latest Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is severely disfigured after sustaining leg and face injuries during joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Tehran in February, Reuters reported Saturday.

It's bad enough that he might be killed in the near future, but worse for him, he has reportedly been disfigured and is no longer considered 'dating material' at any gay goat milk bar.

In a stunning display of medical miracles and regime resilience, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is said to be recovering nicely after the February 28 airstrikes that inconveniently vaporized his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. Sources confirm he has not been seen in public since the unfortunate incident, presumably because hospital gowns clash with his father's signature black turban.

Despite sustaining injuries that would make most mortals reconsider their life choices, Khamenei is allegedly "mentally sharp," according to a breathless Reuters report citing a crack team of three anonymous sources from deep within his inner circle, probably the same guys who swore the last guy was totally fine too.

The plucky new allegedly gay supreme leader has even been coordinating with the Iranian delegation in Pakistan for delicate peace talks with a U.S. team led by Vice President JD Vance. 

Nothing says "I'm in charge" like Zooming in from a burn unit while your entire military high command decorates the Persian landscape.

The Reuters dispatch neatly backs up an earlier observation from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who on March 13 bluntly informed reporters that Khamenei was "likely disfigured."

Hegseth doubled down Thursday during a press conference celebrating the U.S. military's recent accomplishments in Iran.

"Their top leadership was systematically eliminated," Hegseth said. "Their previous Iranian supreme leader dead, the supreme national security council secretary dead, the supreme leader office advisor dead, the supreme leader military office chief dead, the defense minister no longer with us, the IRGC commander dead, the armed forces general staff commander dead, the intelligence minister dead, the IRGC navy commander no longer here, the IRGC Intel chief dead.

"I skipped over a bunch, and I could go on and on and on, to include the new so-called new supreme leader, wounded and disfigured. This new regime was out of options and out of time, so they cut a deal."

At press time, anonymous sources close to the matter described Khamenei's condition as "sharp as a tack... if the tack had been run over by several F-35s," and had that little pointy thing broken off.

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IDF hits 'critical' Iranian missile manufacturing sites in Tehran

The Israel Air Force struck Iranian weapon manufacturing sites in Tehran overnight between Saturday and Sunday, the IDF said on Sunday.

Targets of the strike included a central site used by Iran's Defense Ministry to manufacture "critical" components for ballistic missiles, one of only two such sites in Iran, said the IDF.

Additional targets included various weapon production and storage facilities, as well as a drone engine production facility and an air defense development facility. The IDF struck production and storage sites for aerial defense systems and ballistic missiles, 

Earlier on Saturday, the IAF completed a wide-scale wave of strikes in Iran, targeting regime infrastructure in Tehran, the IDF announced on Sunday, destroying several temporary command centers and blowing up their commanders into convenient bitesize kibbles and bits.

The statement noted that the IDF had identified the relocation of Iranian command centers to mobile units in recent days, after most of its permanent command centers were struck by the IDF over the past month. Commanders, who remain alive and have claimed to love death more than the West loves life, are shaking in the sandals.

The strikes, which were based on military intelligence, additionally targeted dozens of ballistic missile production and storage facilities, said the IDF, as well as Iranian aerial defense systems and observation posts. The IDF completed an additional wave of strikes targeting temporary command centers and weapons production sites in Tehran, March 28, 2026. (credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Israel strikes Iranian nuclear development facilities

The IDF confirmed on Friday an attack against Iran’s Khandab heavy water reactor in Arak, as well as a uranium enrichment facility in Ardakan.

The attack, which involved over 50 IAF fighter jets guided by IDF intelligence, completed strikes targeting the Iranian terror regime's infrastructure across three areas simultaneously, the IDF said.

According to Iranian state media, the enrichment facility in Ardakan produced yellowcake, a concentrated uranium powder used in the early stages of nuclear fuel production.

Additionally, a missile struck the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran on Friday, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, with no casualties, material damage, or technical disruptions being reported.

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Nazis founded Volkswagon, now do something for Israel

In a landmark deal that marries German engineering prowess with Israeli combat-proven technology, Volkswagen is in advanced negotiations to transform its Osnabrück vehicle plant into a production hub for the Iron Dome missile defense system, Israel’s defense system against incoming missiles launched by Hamas, Iran and other Islamic nations that call for the total annihilation of the Jewish state.

The partnership with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems represents a strategic masterstroke, offering a lifeline to thousands of German workers while bolstering Western security at a time of unprecedented global volatility.

The move comes as Israel and the United States continue their high-stakes campaign to neutralize the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and its regional proxies. While the conflict has sparked intense debate within the German halls of power, most notably from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who recently characterized the war as a “disastrous mistake,” the VW-Rafael tie-up signals a more pragmatic, security-first approach from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government.

The Osnabrück plant, previously facing closure due to a sluggish transition to electric vehicles, is set to become a cornerstone of the European Sky Shield Initiative. By producing launchers, generators, and heavy-duty transport trucks for the Iron Dome, Volkswagen is pivoting from a struggling automotive market to a booming defense sector.

For Israel, the deal is a testament to the enduring strength of the Berlin-Jerusalem alliance. Rafael officials noted that Germany was chosen specifically for its status as one of Israel’s most reliable partners. The collaboration aims to save 2,300 high-skilled jobs that were previously at risk of redundancy, integrate “Battle-Proven” Technology into the European defense infrastructure, and strengthen Transatlantic Security by providing a localized supply chain for critical air defense components.

The industrial synergy stands in stark contrast to the pointed rhetoric from President Steinmeier, who on Tuesday warned of a “profound rupture” in ties with Washington. However, Chancellor Merz has remained focused on the broader strategic necessity of the mission. While expressing concern over regional stability and potential migration waves, Merz has affirmed that Germany shares the core goals of the U.S. and Israel: ending Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its support for global terrorism.

The transition at Osnabrück is expected to be seamless, requiring minimal new investment to convert existing assembly lines for defense hardware. Beyond the immediate economic boost, the partnership allows Germany to harness its excess industrial capacity to meet a €500 billion defense spending goal by 2030.

By choosing to produce the Iron Dome, a system credited with a 90% success rate in saving civilian lives, Volkswagen is not just saving a factory; it is participating in a vital effort to safeguard the democratic world.

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Mojtaba Khamenei better not shop at Target because that's what he has become: next Supreme Leader in the crosshairs

Ali Khamenei's kid popped into the world back in 1969 and the U.S. has had him on the sanctions naughty list since 2019 for playing mini-dad and representing the old man in official regime business.

President Donald Trump confirmed that the mullahs' new brain trust has already reached out to talk turkey following the death of bushy bearded Ayatollah Khamenei, because nothing says "we're serious about change" like begging the guy who just helped turn your supreme leader into handy bite-size pieces.

Iran's Assembly of Experts, an oxymoron if there ever was one, has now crowned Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's shiny new supreme leader, per Iranian state television. He better not go shopping at Target. Actually, he'd be smart to have his flunkies go shopping for him rather than being out in fresh air, 

Mojtaba, 56, is the second-eldest spawn of Ali Khamenei. His toddler years lined up perfectly with his father's glow-up from dissident cleric to anti-Shah revolutionary rock star.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution flipped the script, Ali Khamenei traded protest signs for power suits, grabbing plum gigs like deputy defense minister. The family packed up from Mashhad and headed to Tehran, where young Mojtaba enrolled at Alavi High School where he starred in the stone toss. That's the go-to academy for Iran's future political and religious VIPs, aka terrorists.

Mojit, as his mom calls him, got the full package there: regular classes plus heavy religious indoctrination, and he walked the stage in 1987. Then, in 1989, after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini checked out to the great goat pastures, Ali Khamenei scored the supreme leader job.

That same year, Mojtaba kicked off his official clerical training in Tehran, studying under his dad and Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, who would go on to become Iran's chief justice.

Over time, Mojtaba was glued to his father's side and built a reputation as the shadowy power broker pulling strings from behind the curtain.

In an Axios interview last week, when pressed on chatter that Mojtaba was about to take the throne, President Donald Trump said: "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran." He doubled down with, "They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela."

Back in 2019, the U.S. slapped sanctions on Mojtaba under Executive Order 13867. The Treasury Department explained that he had been "representing the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father."

They also noted that dear old dad had handed off chunks of his leadership duties to the boy wonder. Mojtaba worked hand-in-glove with IRGC Quds Force commanders and the Basij thugs, making him a major player in Iran's domestic crackdowns and overseas mischief.

So there you have it: another generation of Khamenei family rule locked in, complete with U.S. sanctions and Trump basically saying, "Not on my watch, pal." The regime's idea of progress is apparently just handing the keys to the same dynasty. Color me unsurprised.

THIS JUST IN: Mojtaba Kamenei has been eliminated by the IDF.

Just kidding. He hasn't left his confines yet, but Israel has him in their crosshairs.

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Tehran's top cop airstruck and is out of luck

According to multiple reports exploding across X and other platforms today (March 7, 2026), Brigadier General Abbas-Ali Mohammadian, commander of Tehran's police force (فرمانده انتظامی تهران بزرگ), has reportedly been blown to smithereens in joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes hammering Iran.

These claims are blasting out from pro-Israel accounts, anti-regime voices, and freedom-loving patriots on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit, complete with those glorious "ELIMINATED" graphics and zero sympathy for a guy accused of ordering the slaughter of protesters. 

We're talking the 2022 Mahsa Amini uprising and the fresh waves of unrest where his forces allegedly racked up hundreds (some say thousands) of dead and injured Iranians just trying to breathe free.

The man was already sanctioned up the wazoo by the U.S., EU, and others for human rights abuses tied to crushing demonstrations. Before Tehran, he ran the show in Alborz province, overseeing more of the same violent crackdowns that left bodies in the streets.

This fits the bigger picture of escalating U.S. and Israeli operations targeting Iranian military brass, security heavies, and command structure, IRGC bigwigs, defense minister-level figures, and higher have been in the crosshairs too.

Posts are framing it as straight-up justice or good riddance, with a lot of folks tying it to the regime's collapsing grip after massive leadership losses. 

But here's the latest skivvy: As of this moment, nothing confirmed from major Western outlets, Iranian state media, or official channels on Mohammadian specifically. 

Tehran has admitted heavy hits from the strikes and big casualties among top ranks, but they're mum on this one. In hot war zones like this, social media moves at warp speed, sometimes with fog-of-war misinformation, so treat these reports as preliminary and explosive until rock-solid independent verification drops.

If official word or more details break (and in this fast-moving chaos, it could happen any minute), the picture will sharpen quick. Stay sharp, folks.

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