US sanctions 12 officials linked to Iran's crackdown on dissent

"The center of gravity is moving from Gaza to the north through the diversion of resources and forces. We are opening a new phase in the war," Gallant said.

The remarks came as explosions targeting communication devices owned by Hezbollah fighters rocked Lebanon for a second day, killing nearly thirty people in total and injuring over 3,000 including Tehran's ambassador to Beirut Mojtaba Amini.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attacks but Hezbollah blames the Jewish state and has vowed revenge.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel will ensure that tens of thousands of residents evacuated from northern border areas will be able to go back home.

"I have said it before; we will return the citizens of the north to their homes safely and that's exactly what we are going to do," he said in a brief video statement, giving no further details.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens have also fled their homes since the start of cross-border combat since Hezbollah began trading fire with Israeli forces following the attack of their Palestinian allies Hamas on Israel on October 7.

Israel emphasized securing its frontier with Lebanon as a key war goal and equipped border forces with thousands of advanced new rifles on Monday, a day before an apparent Israeli attack detonated pagers carried by Hezbollah members across Lebanon.

"We still have many capabilities that we have not yet activated," Israeli army chief General Herzi Halevi told top commanders on a visit to Israel's north on Wednesday

"The rule is that every time we work on a certain stage, the next two stages are already ready to advance. At each stage, the price for Hezbollah must be higher."

The state department has yet to release details of these allegations which led to the revocation of Malley's security clearance, and effectively ended his mandate.

The report, initiated by the State Department's Inspector General months ago, highlights procedural lapses that likely allowed Malley to engage in activities beyond his authorized scope of work even after the suspension of his role.

Key issues highlighted in the report are the delay in notifying Malley of his clearance suspension and the department’s failure to inform other staff that Malley was no longer permitted to access classified materials.

The mismanagement allowed Malley to continue participating in sensitive work, including “the opportunity to participate in a classified conference call” after the suspension was approved.

Two influential congressmen suggested in May that Malley lost his security clearance because he had transferred classified documents to his personal email and cell phone, and the documents were then stolen by a hostile cyber actor.

According to the internal report, the State Department justified its decision to allow Malley to keep his access to sensitive but unclassified systems, citing concerns over his potential use of personal email. Use of personal email is prohibited at the state department for conducting official business.

'Hostile cyber actor'

Malley’s security clearance was suspended over a year ago due to alleged mishandling of classified information, sparking confusion over his duties and restrictions during the suspension period.

The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation into Malley's handling of classified material.

Some reports suggest that a "hostile cyber actor" may have compromised Malley’s email, raising concerns that foreign actors, possibly linked to Iran, may have accessed the information. Malley has denied any wrongdoing.

Appointed by President Biden in early 2021, Malley was tasked with leading the administration’s efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran which had been abandoned by Donald Trump in 2018. However, after nearly two years in the role, Malley was placed on leave and and his security clearance suspended, first reported by Iran International in June last year.

Republican lawmakers quickly sought clarity on Malley’s suspension circumstances but faced repeated refusals from the State Department. This led Senator Jim Risch, the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to suggest during a hearing that a subpoena might be necessary to compel the department to release the requested information.

Initial revelations: the IEI

Iran International and Semafor revealed in September 2023 an alleged Iranian influence operation in Washington involving individuals connected to Malley. The Iran Expert Initiative (IEI) was created to promote Iran’s nuclear program in op-eds and media appearances.

In May 2024, Semafor reported that Malley may have shared classified information with unauthorized individuals as part of his diplomatic efforts. Documents on Malley’s personal devices were said to range from sensitive but unclassified to classified, and may have included detailed notes of his meetings with Iranian officials as well as information on the US government's response to the protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini.

The revelations amplified the scrutiny surrounding his case, with the House Oversight Committee announcing plans to subpoena Malley as part of its investigation into US policies toward Iran.

The political ramifications of Malley's case have also caused anger in Washington. Republican lawmakers have pushed for more transparency from the administration. The introduction of the ROBERT MALLEY Act by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney reflects efforts to hold government agencies accountable for providing Congress with timely information about employee suspensions or furloughs.

Mohammad Jafar Montazeri stated, "If the morality police are to be addressed, then the 'inappropriateness' of that journalist should also be considered," seemingly alluding to Maryam Shabani's headscarf, which revealed a small portion of her hair.

Iran has been named by Freedom House as the world's most oppressive nation for press freedom, with dozens imprisoned in the wake of the 2022 uprising.

At Pezeshkian's press conference on Monday, held a month after his coming to office, Shabani began her question by mentioning that she had to navigate various alleys and back routes to avoid encounters with the morality police on the streets.

In response, Pezeshkian downplayed the seriousness of her remarks, saying, "Are they still bothering you? They were supposed to stop that. We’ll tell them to stop."

Criticizing Pezeshkian's approach, Montazeri remarked that while Pezeshkian emphasizes national unity as his slogan, such “unity should not come at the expense of relinquishing our core beliefs and fundamental principles.”

During his pre-presidential campaign, Pezeshkian had criticized the presence of the morality police. However, the police have reaffirmed their commitment to Project Nour, the establishment's hijab enforcement initiative that has been in effect since April, insisting that it remains a binding law.

Despite scaling back for a short time after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 - a tragedy that sparked months-long protests in Iran known as the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement - the morality police continue to maintain a presence on the streets.

Following Amini's death, more than 550 Iranians were killed as the government responded with full force to what has been the most significant challenge to the establishment's legitimacy since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

The most recent publicized instance of the ongoing pressure on women in Iran involves 31-year-old Arezou Badri. After allegedly violating hijab rules, she was shot by police and suffered severe injuries to her spine and lungs. While hospitalized in extreme pain and unable to sit or eat, she was coerced into making a confession.

Two years after the protests ignited by Mahsa Amini’s death, a UN Fact-Finding Mission report released on Friday highlighted the persistent human rights violations in Iran, particularly targeting women.

Ahead of the anniversary, Amnesty International also raised alarms, condemning the Iranian authorities' brutal crackdown on the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement. The organization emphasized the establishment's ongoing "war on women and girls," noting the intensified repression of those defying stringent veiling laws and the increased use of the death penalty to stifle dissent.

The rights group highlighted the country's persistent culture of impunity for crimes under international law.

"We will not allow the international community to lose sight of what’s happening in Iran—there's always more that can be done to hold the regime accountable," Abram Paley told Samira Gharaei.

Speaking on the second anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini's killing, which sparked the nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement against the state, the American official stressed that the Iranian government's repressive tactics continue unchanged.

Paley condemned Tehran's failure to address such issues and called for attention to the ongoing suppression of dissent.

The official's comments were reinforced by a recent joint statement from the foreign ministers of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The statement called for action from the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that its continued inaction has only amplified global outrage. Amini's murder by the state's so-called morality police over the mandatory hijab has galvanized ongoing resistance both within Iran and across its diaspora.

Acknowledging the resilience of the Iranian people, Paley affirmed that the US and its allies remain unwavering in their support for the ongoing push for democracy.

He sharply criticized the Iranian government's censorship and control of information, stressing that keeping Iranians connected to the outside world is a US priority, especially as the regime intensifies its efforts to silence dissent.

While the Iranian diaspora has been critical of the Biden administration's foreign policy towards Tehran, Washington maintains that it has ramped up initiatives to expand access to information. That includes actively supporting tools like VPNs to help Iranians bypass the regime's internet restrictions.

The need to amplify the voices of the Iranian people was also highlighted by Paley as crucial in countering the regime's oppressive censorship. The officials emphasized that, in response to the Iranian people's demands, the US has led efforts to oust the Islamic Republic from international bodies, including the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Moreover, the US says that it continues to back the UN fact-finding mission investigating Iran's egregious human rights violations.

Paley told Iran International that further measures beyond diplomatic pressure are being considered, with additional sanctions in the pipeline. He also addressed the visa restrictions imposed on Iranian officials attending international events like the UN General Assembly, noting that Iranian representatives already face travel limitations, and efforts are underway to tighten those restrictions even more.

Khabar Online website speculated on Friday that former Security Chief Ali Shamkhani is likely to return to the Council despite reports about his son's involvement in oil trade and money laundering, as well as his own background that was revealed following the deadly collapse of a high-rise building in the city of Abadan in southern Iran in 2022. The owner of the building reportedly took advantage of his connections to Shamkhani to skirt safety regulations for the construction of the building.

Although the president chairs the Supreme Council of National Security, its decisions must be endorsed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei before they can be implemented. Khamenei typically grants the SCNS Secretary the right to vote, which positions the Council—comprising key military, security, and civilian officials—as the highest security organization in the Islamic Republic. Consequently, the head of its secretariat is considered a top security official.

Iranian media have mentioned several candidates for the position, including former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and former Intelligence Minister and government spokesman Ali Rabiei. However, President Masoud Pezeshkian has neither reinstated the current security chief, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, nor appointed a new head for the SCNS secretariat.

Since one of the key objectives of the Pezeshkian Administration is to advance negotiations aimed at ending sanctions against the Islamic Republic, appointing the head of the council is a crucial task that Pezeshkian must address.

Ahmadian represented Iran at the recent BRICS meeting in Russia earlier this month. However, for him to continue as Iran's security chief, he must receive an official appointment from Pezeshkian. Ahmadian, who succeeded Rear Admiral Shamkhani in June 2023, is a vice admiral and has previously served as the chief of the IRGC's Strategic Center and as a member of the Expediency Council.

Until 2013, the SCNS oversaw the nuclear negotiations. President Hassan Rouhani refused to officially re-instate Shamkhani as the Security Chief in his second term as President. But he stayed on until his removal in 2023.

Rouhani has said in his memoires that Shamkhani was his third choice for the post during his first term, as the first two refused to accept the job. He added that Khamenei did not like Shamkhani to become the security chief but Rouhani convinced him to accept Shamkhani. Subsequently, he replaced Saeed Jalili in 2013, during whose term of office Iran's nuclear negotiations with the West had reached a deadlock.

Before Jalili, Ali Larijani held the position but stepped down due to disagreements with former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The longest-serving security chief of the Islamic Republic was Hassan Rouhani, who held the post from 1989 until 2005, when he resigned and handed the position to Larijani.

Although many observers believe Shamkhani is eager to return as security chief of the SCNS, speculation continues about Larijani and Rabiei being the most likely candidates. Pezeshkian opposes Shamkhani's return, as Shamkhani is reportedly against nuclear negotiations, allegedly due to his involvement in illicit oil exports under sanctions.

Other candidates mentioned by the Iranian press include Admiral Hosein Alai, former commander of the IRGC naval force; former Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi; former diplomat and IRGC officer Iraj Masjedi; and former Justice Minister and presidential candidate Mostafa Pourmohammadi.