Iranian Newspaper, Journalist Face Charges Of Undermining National Security

During his Sunday speech Ghalibaf claimed Iran's military aerial bombardment launched Saturday night was a “legitimate response to aggressions against its diplomatic facilities, aligning with United Nations guidelines," referring to the alleged Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this month which killed two senior Quds Force commanders and other IRGC personnel.

His statement was followed by the parliament members' reactions, who chanted "Death to Israel!" following the attack on Israeli soil.

Meanwhile Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s account on X published a post claiming that Israel had been punished, failing to acknowledge the fact that of the roughly 350 projectiles sent to Israel from Iran, the first such attack of its kind, 99 percent were intercepted by Israel, the US, UK, Jordan and France.

Iran's Army Commander-in-Chief Abdolrahim Mousavi also threatened that “if Israel persists in its actions, this time it will face a harsher and heavier punishment." He threatened the United States that if its bases are used to respond to an attack, "they will be considered operational targets and will be targeted."

Iran's mission to the UN shared a message claiming that it considered the operation "deemed concluded". "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe," it warned. "It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!"

Praising the Israeli defensive operation, Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said, "The IDF operated in an extraordinary manner overnight, and will continue to be prepared for every scenario. The campaign is not over yet and we are alert and strong."

Stock exchange officials decided in an emergency meeting to lower the daily price fluctuation range to one percent for the next three consecutive days in a bid to cool off the market that was witnessing queues of investors trying to sell off their holdings.

The decision came after a sharp fall on the stock exchange which saw the overall index lose more than 11,000 points at the closing of Sunday's trading. The steep decline marked one of the biggest recent history drops, reflecting anxieties over escalating regional tensions fueled by Tehran.

The economic repercussions of the conflict are profound, as Iran's national currency also hit a record low. In the early hours after the attack on Sunday morning, the US dollar rose to pass 710,000 rials but later decreased slightly to reach 674,000 rials, an almost 30 percent depreciation since early January. Other major currencies have also seen historic increases, with the Euro exchanged at 719,200 rials and the British pound trading at 839,600 rials.

A declining currency value could bring more economic hardships for Iranians in the midst of an economic crisis. Now, with the annual inflation rate near 50 percent, savers are converting their money into hard currencies or gold to gain stability at a time when the economic landscape is changing rapidly.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has twice in the past ten days underlined that ignoring hijab is a redline that should not be crossed and urged the authorities to enforce related laws.

The police have introduced their hijab enforcement initiative, named the Nour (Light) Plan, aiming to enforce hijab laws nationwide in response to what they claim is a "national and public demand." Businesses face closure if they fail to ensure compliance with these regulations among their customers.

Reports from citizens and images circulated on social media suggest that "hijab patrol" vehicles and agents, previously withdrawn from the streets following the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini while in the custody of the morality police in September 2022, have now resumed operations at full capacity. Amini's death, at the age of 22, sparked extensive protests that persisted for several months.

Since then, there has been a significant increase in the number of unveiled women, even in many traditionally conservative towns and cities.

Social media users have reported several cases of violent arrests including the detention of a teenage girl in Tehran by several male and female officers.

“She had clutched the street railings and was crying. A female officer punched her hand, and the male officer forcefully released her fingers. They dragged her to the [police] van. It was as if they had arrested ISIS [members], the scoundrels!” a citizen report on X Saturday said.

According to the author of the tweet, more than a dozen people who were also present at the scene pleaded with the police to let the girl go, a member of the public even offered the girl a headscarf to wear to convince the police not to arrest her, but the police threatened to use tear gas and arrest them if they persisted. “Eventually the pleadings turned into shouting and swearing.”

Another citizen report on X said the police kicked those who opposed the arrest of a young student on the metro.

Uniformed male officers and black-veiled female hijab enforcers patrolling a busy street in Tehran Saturday

Iranian media also reported the arrest, and eventual release, of the wife and daughter of legendary former goalkeeper of Iran's national soccer team, Ahmadreza Abedzadeh, for appearing unveiled in public in Tehran.

IRGC-linked Fars news agency claimed that the mother and daughter were detained for “causing tension and conflict” with hijab enforces and released later.

Some social media users on Saturday said sarcastically that the regime is taking revenge on Iranian women because it does not have the courage to exact its promised “hard revenge” against Israel.

“Hijab enforcers have poured into the streets and the subway, warning women, and trying to humiliate people on the metro and streets as if their enemy is us women. They are desperate and want to exact the hard revenge on us instead of Israel,” Samaneh Sami, a social scientist and journalist tweeted.

Others say the reason for taking action against women at this particular time is to divert attention from such controversial issues as the possibility of a strike against Israel for attacking the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, the massive depreciation of the national currency and other economic problems, the recent land grab scandal of one of Tehran’s Friday imam, and Theran mayor’s plans to build mosques in parks.

The spokesman of the Iranian Airports and Air Navigation Company, Reza Kargar, told ISNA that cancellations were reported in almost all airports including Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz, Bushehr, Ilam, Sanandaj, Tabriz, Ardabil, Urmiya, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Ahvaz, Abadan, Hamedan.

The CEO of Imam Khomeini International Airport City Company explained that "if the alert is renewed, flights will continue to be canceled, and in case the alert is not renewed, flights will resume."

The cancellations followed a massive Iranian drone and missile strike on Israel earlier Sunday that saw over 300 drones and missiles. It comes after an attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus on April 1; an attack that Iran has attributed to Israel. The strike killed two IRGC generals and several others.

Despite the scale of the Sunday attack, according to Israel, there were no reported deaths. The defense against the assault was supported by the US, UK, and France.

Besides the attacks launched from Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also coordinated missile strikes from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Israeli Channel 12 TV on Sunday quoted an unnamed high-ranking Israeli official assuring that Israel is preparing a "substantial response" to the Iranian moves.

The same message was also echoed in English on the ministry's official page.

In response to Iranian claims of causing significant damage, the ministry also posted a video of a fighter jet landing safely at Nevatim Airbase, dispelling the allegations as operations at the base continued unimpaired.

Additionally, a video surfaced from the Iranian parliament where members were seen celebrating the attack on Israel and chanting "Death to Israel!" The Israeli foreign ministry responded stating, "One thing is clear: We are strong, resilient, and we will never give in to terror. Those who harm the people of Israel will pay the price."

The escalation followed an April 1 attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, which Iran attributes to Israel, resulting in the deaths of two IRGC generals among others.

Iran's permanent mission to the UN wrote on X that the aerial bombardment was "Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus."

In a warning to the US which had supported Israel's defensive efforts on Sunday morning along with the UK, France and Jordan, the post said that while the operation was complete, it warned: "The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!