US Decries Iranian Airstrikes In Pakistan, Iraq, Syria

On Tuesday, Iran's state broadcaster (IRIB) took an uncommon step by featuring a female presenter wearing an outfit that deviated from the traditional dress code enforced on women in Iran. This attire has historically subjected many Iranian women to various forms of trouble, including being denied entry into government buildings.

Zhila (Jila) Sadeghi who hosted a morning program wore a cream-colored, tailored jacket over a long, frilly black skirt and a patterned headscarf of red, gold and cream, and lots of make-up which made her look very much like hijab-wearing women in some other countries of the region, particularly Turkey and Lebanon. In the past, she had mostly appeared on air wearing a chador.

Most female presenters wear a long black veil (chador) over a lighter colored headscarf that tightly covers their hair and neck. Others wear a less condoned outfit consisting of a long coat (manteau), wide-legged trousers and a large headscarf coming down to the chest to disguise their figures as much as possible. Make-up, particularly lipstick, is not tolerated.

Sadeghi's strikingly different attire, particularly given her reputation as a staunch regime advocate, made significant waves in Iranian media and social media. While the media in Tehran reported on IRIB's new approach without extensive commentary, presumably due to concerns about censorship, it did not escape the notice of social media users.

On social media, many users interpreted this move as a hypocritical attempt to portray a more favorable image of the regime's stance on hijab ahead of the elections, rather than a genuine shift in the regime's approach to the issue. Some pointed out that over the past year, authorities in Iran have shuttered numerous businesses, confiscated many vehicles, and harassed thousands of women over hijab-related issues, leading to the tragic deaths of two young women, Mahsa (Jina) Amini and Armita Geravand, both of whom sustained fatal head injuries from hijab enforcers.

Ali Ahmadnia, journalist, pointed out on Twitter that not long ago a woman wearing the same kind of outfit would be detained by hijab police and accused of being “the enemy’s foot soldier who wants to undermine religious beliefs”. “But now there is a TV host wearing a jacket suit on air. What things we have not witnessed!” he tweeted.

However, some observers stressed that a television host does not have the autonomy to decide her on-air appearance, suggesting that Sadeghi's attire must have been dictated or at least approved by individuals with significant decision-making authority within the organization or even the regime.

Iran is set to hold parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections on March 1, with the latter responsible for appointing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's successor. Authorities, including Khamenei, who have historically argued that high voter turnout is a testament to the regime's legitimacy, appear to be deeply concerned about the possibility of very low turnout in the upcoming elections. 

Polls conducted so far indicate that turnout may even be lower than the 2020 parliamentary elections and 2021 presidential elections both of which set the lowest turnout records in the history of the Islamic Republic. Some estimates indicate a turnout as low as 10 percent.

Disillusioned with the regime’s claims of improving ordinary people’s lives, frustrated by lack of social and political freedoms and vast corruption, as well as harsh treatment of critics and dissidents, many Iranians have made up their minds not to vote in any elections again because they don’t expect their votes to change anything.

In his recent speeches Khamenei stressed the collective responsibility to mobilize the electorate.

IRNA, the Iranian state news agency, reported that the drill will be conducted over an area of 600 kilometers.

The Iranian army and the IRGC’s naval and air forces will participate, IRNA added.

Qader Rahimzadeh, an Iranian air defense commander, said that several state-of-the-art systems will be on display for the first time in this drill.

Dozens of manned and unmanned aircrafts will use “the tactics of the day” to attack the critical sites identified in this drill, Rahimzadeh claimed.

Fars news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that this is the fifth air defense drill in which the IRGC and the Iranian army jointly take part.

The drill comes against the backdrop of rising tensions in the region. Over recent days, the IRGC attacked several positions in Iraq’ Kurdistan region, Syria and Pakistan in what it called an attempt to target terrorists and Israeli agents. Pakistan retaliated by attacking several locations in southeastern Iran early Thursday.

Also, following the Israel-Hamas conflict, Iran-backed Houthis have time and again targeted trade vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On January 10, the UN Security Council passed a resolution, calling on Yemen’s Houthis to stop attacks on shipping immediately.

Two days after the resolution was approved, the US and UK targeted dozens of Houthis’ sites in Yemen. Though the raids have degraded Houthis’ military capabilities, they have failed to prevent the militant group from its destabilizing actions.

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

Deputy Special Envoy Abram Paley called for her unconditional release, emphasizing the need to end the Iranian regime's oppressive campaign against critics and human rights activists, including Mohammadi.

“The Iranian regime’s campaign to silence critics and human rights activists, including Ms. Mohammadi, must stop,” he wrote in an X message on Wednesday.

The statement coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Without Just Cause initiative launched by the US State Department, a campaign aimed at raising awareness about political prisoners around the world.

Narges Mohammadi, a prominent Iranian activist, has faced multiple detentions since 1998. Despite legal challenges, she continues her unwavering commitment to civic activism, advocating for human rights and gender equality. Mohammadi recently appeared before the Evin District Security Court on the fifth case initiated against her in the past six months by the Ministry of Intelligence.

Facing a sentence of nine years and eight months with 154 lashes and additional penalties, Mohammadi rejects the legitimacy of the government and its court verdicts. The charges against her, based on politically motivated "national security" claims, exemplify a broader pattern of the Iranian regime imprisoning non-violent political activists, human rights defenders, and individuals from religious and ethnic minority groups.

Human rights organizations report that the Iranian authorities arrested approximately 20,000 people following peaceful protests in September 2022, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a post on X that 14 missiles belonging to Iran-backed Houthis were targeted at 11:59 p.m. (Sanaa time) on January 17, adding that the missiles were all “loaded to be fired in Houthi controlled areas in Yemen.”

“These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time,” the post added.

Meanwhile, CENTCOM commander Michael Erik Kurilla vowed that Washington will continue its efforts to protect the lives of Americans and innocent mariners against Yemeni Houthis’ threats in the Red Sea.

“The actions by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists continue to endanger international mariners and disrupt the commercial shipping lanes,” he stressed.

CENTCOM’s offensive action came hours after the Biden administration listed Houthis as specially designated global terrorists (SDGT) in response to the group’s rising threats in the region. The US, however, has not decided yet to include Houthis in the list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTO). 

The Biden administration delisted Iran-backed Houthis’ designation as both a foreign terrorist organization and as a specially designated global terrorist, when it assumned office in early 2021.

Although Tehran 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 Israeli and American targets.

On Wednesday, the Office of the US Special Envoy for Iran condemned Tehran’s backing of Houthi rebels, with a commitment from Washington to ensure freedom of navigation.

A local official in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, bordering Pakistan, confirmed Thursday morning local time that multiple explosions had occurred near the city of Saravan at around 4:00 am.

The deputy governor general of the restive province told the state TV that airstrikes carried out by Pakistan targeted a border village, killing three women and four children, all non-Iranian citizens. It is not clear if Pakistan used warplanes, missiles or drones. Missiles have been mentioned in local reporting, but all three weapons platforms could have been used.

Later in the day, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that the country had undertaken "a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran."

"A number of terrorists were killed during the Intelligence-based operation – codenamed 'Marg Bar Sarmachar' (Death to Insurgents)," the statement said.

"Over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani origin terrorists calling themselves 'Sarmachars' on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists," it noted.

However, it added, "because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities by these so called Sarmachars."

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that Tehran has not yet taken an official position regarding Pakistan’s strikes. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned Pakistan’s attack, without elaborating.

Malek Fazeli, Saravan’s representative in the Iranian parliament, rejected Islamabad’s allegations about the presence of Pakistani terrorists in the town.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani embassy’s charge d’affaires demanding an explanantion for the airstrikes. Pakistan's foreign ministry said the aim of the attack was to defend national security, but Islamabad is not pursuing tensions with Tehran.

China and Saudi Arabia have held negotiations with the Iranian government in an attempt to prevent further escalations. According to reports, Beijing and Riyadh are trying to dissuade Iran from retaliating to Pakistan’s airstrikes.

Images have emerged on various local media purporting to show fire, smoke and destroyed structures in the area, including Shamesar near Saravan.

In early hours of Wednesday local time, Iran’s IRGC launched missiles and drones against targets in Pakistan, in an operation that Iran said was against two bases of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl.
Pakistan called the attacks “illegal” and “completely unacceptable” and warned of “serious consequences.”

The two neighbors’ relations soured rapidly as Pakistan recalled its ambassador and ordered the Iranian ambassador to Islamabad to stay in Iran until further notice.

Iran and Pakistan have rocky but functioning ties. Clashes in border areas occur from time to time, mainly involving groups such as Jaish al-Adl, which has claimed responsibility for attacks on, and the killing of, several Iranian border patrols.

On Tuesday, hours before the airstrikes, Iran and Pakistan had a joint military exercise in the Persian Gulf, according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, and Iran’s foreign minister met Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Before the attacks on Pakistan, IRGC had hit several targets in Iraq and Syria, triggering the Arab League to adopt a resolution condemning Iran's violation of Iraq's sovereignty.

Many in the region –and beyond– fear that Iran’s escalation in various fronts across the region may lead to a full-scale war. That fear is now much greater as the regime’s dangerous game has reached nuclear armed Pakistan.