Italy releases Iranian national detained on terrorism charges, Tehran says

"Hamas sacrificed the interests of the Palestinian people for Iran and caused destruction in the Gaza Strip, to replicate its actions in the West Bank," Fatah said on Saturday, stressing its determination not to let Hamas repeat the same scenario in the West Bank as the war in Gaza rages on in the wake of the group's October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

The statement also underscored Fatah's resolve to prevent Hamas from spreading its influence into the West Bank, where the group remains a significant rival to Fatah’s Palestinian Authority.

As part of its strategy to consolidate control, Fatah has been ramping up security operations, particularly in Jenin, which has become a stronghold for armed factions, including Iran-backed Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

The Palestinian Authority's growing military presence is a signal that it will not tolerate Hamas-like governance in the West Bank, particularly given the ongoing unrest in Gaza. It is also a sign to the incoming Trump administration that it has control over the contested territory.

Fatah holds Hamas directly responsible for the devastating consequences of the October 7 attack, which left approximately 1,200 Israelis dead and triggered a massive Israeli military response.

The Israeli strikes have resulted in more than 46,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

In turn, tens of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank have since been banned from entering Israel for work, and the economy has been left in ruins since the outbreak of war.

"Hamas is now attempting to stir security chaos in the West Bank, thereby continuing its policy that brought disaster upon the Palestinian people," Fatah added.

Israel’s Defense Minister said on Tuesday that Iran is pivoting toward arming Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank following the downfall of Tehran’s ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

"Judea and Samaria has become a central arena in the map of threats to Israel and we are preparing to respond accordingly," Katz said, using the Biblical names for lands on the west bank of Jordan River which Israel seized in a 1967 war.

"We are seeing increasing efforts to promote Palestinian terrorism in Israel through the smuggling of advanced weapons, funding and guidance both on the part of the Iranian axis and on the part of the radical Sunni Islamic axis that is strengthening its grip on the region after the events in Syria,” he added.

K-Pop, or Korean popular music, has become a global cultural phenomenon in recent years, captivating audiences worldwide with its distinctive blend of catchy pop melodies, synchronized choreography, and high-production-value music videos.

The influence of K-Pop has also extended to Iran, where it has garnered a substantial and enthusiastic following among young people.

Despite the Islamic Republic’s restrictions on Western media and music, K-Pop has found a foothold through online platforms and social media. Iranian youth have embraced not only the music itself but also aspects of Korean culture, such as language, fashion, and entertainment.

This burgeoning interest has led to the development of dedicated online spaces, including websites and social media groups, where Iranian K-Pop fans can connect, share their passion, and stay updated on the latest news and trends.

The drills are focused on protecting critical infrastructure, including the Fordow and Khondab installations, which house uranium enrichment and heavy water production facilities.

The exercise, led by the Army's Air Defense Force under the command of the country's integrated air defense network, simulates defending critical sites and mission centers against aerial and missile attacks using a wide range of units and equipment, including missile systems, radar, electronic warfare and intelligence units, according to IRNA.

The drills follow a previous phase of nationwide exercises that began earlier in January in the air defense zone surrounding the Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran against mock attacks by missiles and drones, as reported by state media.

During that phase, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air forces conducted "an all-out point defense of the Natanz site against a multitude of air threats in tough electronic warfare conditions.”

In October, US President Joe Biden's adviser for the Middle East Amos Hochstein told Fox News that Israeli air strikes earlier in the month knocked out Iran's last three Russian-provided S-300 air defense missile systems.

The surface-to-air S-300s were the last in the Islamic Republic's arsenal after one was destroyed in an attack in April. Hochstein said, "Iran is essentially naked."

According to IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini, the exercises, which will continue in various parts of Iran until mid-March, are a response to what he called new security threats.

Naini added that about 30 land, air and maritime drills have commenced across six western and southern provinces so far. “The number of drills has almost doubled this year compared to last year, in response to the evolving threat landscape.”

He added that several branches of the IRGC, including the navy and the paramilitary Basij forces, will also participate in the drills.

Iran has been conducting military exercises as it prepares for heightened tensions with its arch-enemy, Israel and the United States, under incoming President Donald Trump.

The war games come amid concerns that Trump could empower Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran's nuclear sites while intensifying US sanctions on Iran's oil industry under his so-called "maximum pressure" policy.

On Friday, the Aerospace Force of IRGC unveiled what state TV called an underground missile city being visited by Guards Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami and the Aerospace chief Amir-Ali Hajizadeh.

The base was used in the Iranian missile attacks against Israel in what the Islamic Republic codenamed operations True Promise 1 and 2 in April and October 2024, IRGC media Tasnim said.

Salami said that Iran has more missiles than it can store, dismissing what he called enemy propaganda about the weakening of Iran's armed forces following attacks by Israel on Iran and its allies.

Iran has recently suffered setbacks in Lebanon after Israeli attacks against Iranian-backed Hezbollah and the toppling of Tehran's ally President Bashar al-Assad in Syria last month.

Iranian officials keep downplaying Iran's setbacks, but an Iranian general, Behrouz Esbati, who was reportedly based in Syria, said in a speech circulated on social media that Iran had lost badly in Syria.

Hassan Salarieh, head of Iran's Space Organization, confirmed that the Martyr Soleimani satellite constellation, aimed at developing the Internet of Things (IoT), is one of the key projects currently under production.

With 20 satellites slated for launch, Salarieh said that these are part of a broader plan to enhance Iran’s technological capabilities.

"The Martyr Soleimani constellation is a narrowband constellation, designed to support IoT development. This is just one of several important satellite projects we are working on," he said.

Iran’s space endeavors began in 2009 with the launch of the Omid (Hope) satellite. The government insists that its space activities are solely peaceful, yet the dual-use nature of space technology—capable of supporting both civilian and military operations—has raised alarms, particularly among the United States and its allies.

In recent years, Iran has stepped up efforts to improve and expand its space capabilities.

The planned launch of a new space vehicle follows Iran's January 2024 launch of the Soraya satellite, which was carried into orbit aboard the Qaem 100 rocket. That mission drew condemnation from European countries, including Britain, France, and Germany, all of which are part of the now-fractured nuclear agreement with Iran, the JCPOA.

In a joint statement earlier this year, the European Troika expressed concern over Iran's ongoing missile tests, highlighting that the Qaem 100 launcher uses the same technology as Iran’s long-range ballistic missiles.

These launches enable Iran to test technologies that could potentially advance its ballistic missile program, the statement warned, emphasizing that such activities pose a significant threat to both regional and international security.

Further compounding these worries, Iran’s collaboration with Russia in space activities has added another layer of geopolitical complexity. In November 2024, two Iranian satellites—Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, and Hodhod, a small communications satellite—were launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.

"Several research satellites are also underway, including Pajouhesh (Research) 1,2,3,4 as well as Nahid 2 and Nahid 3, which are ready for launch," Salarieh added. "In addition to these, we have satellites in the telecommunications and sensing fields, with launches set to begin soon."

As Iran continues to develop its space program, the potential for dual-use technology—intended for both civilian and military purposes—remains a point of contention.

The 25 million barrels of oil were gradually shipped to China prior to May 2019 as a precaution when President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil exports but granted China temporary waivers.

However, in May 2019, when the Trump administration revoked these waivers, the oil was left unsold and stranded in leased storage tanks at the ports of Dalian and Zhoushan.

On December 23, Iran International first reported on the IRGC’s mission to remove these oil reserves from Chinese Dalian port. In a subsequent report, Iran International cited a source as saying that Iran was trying to withdraw other oil reserves from Zhoushan Port, China.

Following these reports, Reuters sources on January 8 confirmed the existence of such a large volume of blocked Iranian oil reserves in China, adding that Iran must pay $450 million in storage fees to Chinese oil storage facilities to release it.

The Wall Street Journal latest report on January 11 has shed new light on Iran’s efforts to retrieve its stored oil from China, warning that the IRGC has taken charge of unloading and claiming this oil. There are concerns that the proceeds from its sale may be transferred to the Islamic Republic's regional proxy forces.

The report adds that two tankers, the Madestar and CH Billion, were recently dispatched to Dalian port to load part of the Iranian oil.
The Madestar, left Dalian earlier this month carrying 2 million barrels of oil, while the other, the CH Billion, is reportedly still docked in Dalian with a cargo of 700,000 barrels.

To circumvent sanctions and sell its oil, Iran has relied on intricate shipping networks. For a Chinese buyer to purchase the stored Iranian oil, the shipment would first need to leave China and re-enter, with its documentation altered to disguise it as non-Iranian oil.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the current value of Iran’s stranded oil in China exceeds $2 billion. However, Tehran owes approximately $1 billion in fees for the leased storage tanks at the two Chinese ports, twice as much as reported earlier by Reuters.

The newspaper, citing informed sources, wrote that concerns have grown over the withdrawal of the oil from Chinese ports and Tehran’s efforts to sell them under the IRGC's direction.
According to the report, Iran has allocated the revenue from this operation to the IRGC, which funds and arms affiliated groups across the Middle East.

In this context, the Associated Press reported on Sunday, January 12, that Hezbollah has started paying compensation to war-affected residents of southern Lebanon. In the past Iran has financed reconstruction costs and assistance to the Shiite population in Lebanon.

Sources in the report indicated that so far, certain families have received payments ranging from $194 to $14,000. Hezbollah has also mobilized 145 reconstruction teams comprising over 1,250 engineers and hundreds of analysts and accountants.

The World Bank estimated in a report in November — before the ceasefire later that month — that losses to Lebanon’s infrastructure amount to some $3.4 billion.

Under the budget law, Iran’s presidential administration has allocated 650,000 barrels of oil per day to the IRGC for the next Iranian fiscal year, starting March 21, to export directly and the revenue from these exports is designated for “strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic.”