Iranian Hunger Striker Calls For Protest Rally To Proscribe IRGC

A report released on Tuesday by Microsoft Threat Intelligence revealed the threat from the Iranian hackers, known as "Mint Sandstorm".

The gang’s recently adopted new strategy is to target energy and transportation infrastructure across the US, including ports, energy companies, and transit systems.

Initially engaged in reconnaissance, the subgroup eventually began attacking critical infrastructure organizations in the United States in 2022.

These attacks were "potentially designed to support destructive cyberattacks in retaliation," Microsoft said.

"Mint Sandstorm" is a new name used by Microsoft to track the activities of hackers formerly known as Phosphorus, a collection of threat actors deemed to be affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence arm.

Mint Sandstorm has also been referred to as APT35, APT42, Charming Kitten, and TA453. However, Iran has denied carrying out cyberattacks.

Since at least 2011, Mint Sandstorm has targeted activists, journalists, critical infrastructure, and government entities.

Microsoft researchers reported in February that an Iranian regime-backed hacking team had stolen and leaked the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's data.

The hackers, calling themselves “Holy Souls,” were from the Iranian cybersecurity firm Emennet Pasargad, according to Clint Watts, General Manager of Microsoft's Digital Threat Analysis Center.

In November 2021, the United States Justice Department indicted two Iranians, Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian, who were employed by Emennet Pasargad.

During the 2020 presidential election, they allegedly conducted a cyber campaign "to intimidate and influence American voters" as well as undermine voter confidence and sow discord.

The trip by the 13-meter (41-foot) speedboat carrying sensors and cameras, drew the attention of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, but took place without incident, said Navy spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins.

Two US Coast Guard cutters accompanied the drone.

Iran announced last September that it had seized and released two US naval drones in the Red Sea. The US confirmed the claim but refused to comment.

But the passage through the Hormuz was without incident. The strait is a busy waterway between Iran and Oman which at its narrowest is just 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide.

A fifth of all oil traded passes through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

“The Iranians observed the unmanned service vessel transiting the strait in accordance with international law,” Hawkins told The Associated Press.

He said an Iranian drone and at least one Houdong-class fast-attack vessel operated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard observed the MAST-13 drone.

The US Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet patrols Mideast waters, particularly the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, to keep open the waterways for international trade, as well as protect American interests and allies.

However, Iran views the Navy's presence as an affront, and vows to expel US forces from the Middle East.

The 5th Fleet launched a special drone task force last year, aiming to have a fleet of some 100 unmanned drones, both sailing and submersible, operating in the region with America’s allies.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on the head of Iran’s Pardazan System Namad Arman (PASNA), which was already under US sanctions, and the entity's front companies and suppliers in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China that Washington said have enabled PASNA's procurement of goods and technology.

It marks the latest move by Washington targeting Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry.

"The network sanctioned today has procured goods and technology for the Iranian government and its defense industry and UAV program," the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement.

"Treasury will continue to enforce its sanctions against Iran’s military procurement efforts that contribute to regional insecurity and global instability."

The Treasury targeted the managing director of PASNA, accusing him of being responsible for the company's sanctions evasion efforts. It said he used front companies to seek a variety of electronic components from suppliers based primarily in China.

Three China-based suppliers of PASNA were also targeted in Wednesday's action alongside a Hong Kong-based company, a Malaysia-based front company and one based in Iran.

The latest US move against Iran comes as efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled and ties between Tehran and the West became increasingly strained as Iran's security forces violently put down the protests following the death of a Kurdish woman in the custody of the morality police last September.

Wednesday's sanctions followed charges filed a day earlier or another network financing Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Reporting by Reuters

"In total, up to 17 launches of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks were recorded, presumably from the eastern coast area of the Sea of Azov," the command said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

This was the first attack by Iranian-made drones in almost two weeks. Russian long-range missile stockpiles have dwindled after repeated attacks on civilian targets since October when Moscow also began using hundreds of Shahed suicide drones.

Iran first denied it had supplied drones to Russia but in early November foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian admitted the deliveries, but claimed they were sent before the Russian invasion.

There have been intelligence reports that Tehran might be planning to also supply long-range missiles to Russia.

Ukraine's South military command said one drone hit an enterprise in the Odesa region, causing a fire, which was eliminated by the morning.

"According to preliminary information, there were no human losses," the command said in a statement.

The United States and its NATO allies have strongly condemned Iran’s drone deliveries to Russia. Washington, which has stopped nuclear talks with Tehran, has indicated that it expects the deliveries to stop before any further negotiations take place.

The suspects were spreading superstitions to undermine the Baku government under the guise of religious activities, Azerbaijani Ministry of Interior sources told the APA news agency.

The alleged agents are also accused of promoting drug trafficking.

This is the latest in a series of arrests in Azerbaijan of groups affiliated with Iran's Intelligence Ministry in recent weeks.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran have been strained in recent months after Baku announced plans to open formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

Azerbaijan closed its embassy in Tehran after an armed attack on it in January.

Earlier this month Azerbaijan expelled four Iranian diplomats over what it called “provocative actions”, possibly referring to several military exercises carried out by Iran's armed forces on the border over the past year.

Tehran accuses Baku of harboring Israeli intelligence and military elements that plan to use its territory in a possible attack against Iran’s nuclear installations.

Around a quarter of Iran’s population is Azari, with analysts and activists disagreeing over the closeness of their cultural and linguistic links to their neighbors to the north.