Iran smuggles cash to Hezbollah via Istanbul after flight ban - Israel's N12

"I think messaging is going to be tough no matter what - nobody knows who the Houthis are - which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded," Hegseth allegedly wrote according to a screenshot published by The Atlantic magazine.

Democrats in Washington have expressed outrage over the inclusion of a prominent journalist from The Atlantic in a conversation among senior officials over commercial messaging app Signal about plans for a military campaign against the the Houthis.

But President Donald Trump and senior aides have swatted away the criticism, saying no classified information was discussed as dismissing the Atlantic as a partisan publication.

Following the administration's reaction, The Atlantic published a lengthy transcript from the chat in which officials discussed the public framing of the campaign.

Washington launched dozens of air strikes on March 16 against the Iran-backed Houthi group that local authorities say killed at least 31 people.

Following an attack by Iran-backed Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and Israel's incursion into Gaza, the Houthis began attacking commercial and military vessels in the waterways astride Yemen in what they called solidarity with Palestine.

The group seized control of much of the war-torn country in 2014 and has been provided advanced drone and missile technology by Iran.

Addressing Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth's reported comments in the group chat emphasize the administration's hawkish stance on the Islamic Republic and criticism of Trump's predecessor Joe Biden as too soft on Tehran.

A goal of the campaign, Hegseth said according to The Atlantic, was to "Reestablish deterrence, which Biden cratered."

Trump has demanded Tehran come to a deal over its nuclear program or face a military intervention and warned any attack by the Houthis would be treated as emanating from Iran.

Tensions with the Houthis and Tehran are ramping up and the US military deployed to an Indian Ocean air base in the last 48 hours a squadron of heavy bombers, cargo plans and refueling tankers according to a defense news outlet.

The move follows a reported effort by a senior Iranian military commander urging Tehran's armed allies in Iraq and Yemen to stand down attacks on their Mideast nemesis, potentially signaling an Iranian desire for detente in the region.

Iran faces an ultimatum by US President Donald Trump to ink a new nuclear deal or face attack after its home front and armed allies in the region have been dealt historic military blows from Israel in over a year of war

Influential figures in Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government and the Coordination Framework coalition — a group of Iran-aligned political factions — are urging militia leaders not to carry out operations that could trigger retaliation from Israel or the United States, The New Arab reported citing Iraqi sources.

Some Iran-backed militias in Iraq have moved and reorganized their weapons stockpiles and bases in recent days, the report added, anticipating possible Israeli strikes in response to earlier drone and missile attacks launched from Iraq.

Earlier this month, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the United States had stepped in to stop Israel from launching retaliatory strikes on Iraqi territory.

A senior member of the Iraqi Resistance Coordination, the umbrella group for pro-Iran militias in Iraq, was quoted by The New Arab as saying that the government and senior political leaders have directly appealed to faction commanders.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said groups like Kata'ib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba are still considering fresh attacks on Israel if it continues its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

After the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, seven Iraqi armed factions formed what they called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. They launched drones and missiles at Israeli targets, including strikes that reached the Golan Heights.

Following a deadly drone strike in January 2024 on a US outpost in Jordan known as Tower 22 — which killed three US soldiers and injured 47 — the US launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq and Syria.

Soon after, Kata'ib Hezbollah said it would pause operations against US forces to avoid putting pressure on the Iraqi government, which had called for calm.

Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, visited Baghdad recently and reportedly told allied militias not to respond to threats from Israel or the US.

Qaani met with leaders of the Coordination Framework, commanders of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh, according to Asharq Al-Awsat and Shafaq News.

A similar message was also passed by the senior commander to Yemen’s Houthi movement through intermediaries in Iraq. The effort is seen as part of Tehran’s strategy to prevent a broader war at a time of rising tensions across the region.

The display comes against a backdrop of heightened rhetoric from Washington, which has warned of potential military action if Tehran does not curb its nuclear program, limit its missile development, and cease support for regional militant groups.

The unveiling, widely covered by Iranian domestic media, featured senior military figures including the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, and the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Amirali Hajizadeh, at an undisclosed underground facility.

Reports identified various missile types at the location, including the KheibarShekan, Haj Qassem, Ghadr H, Sejjil, and Emad.

Despite Bagheri's assertions of significantly enhanced missile capabilities and preparations for a future capacity far exceeding Iran's strikes on Israel, the claim that these bases are new cannot be independently verified, as their locations are typically undisclosed.

Iran’s military has previously released images of similar underground facilities, prompting speculation that the newly publicized base may be an older site repurposed for a fresh media campaign.

Adding a nuanced layer to the display, Iranians on social media have pointed out a potential shift in symbolic messaging.

Unlike a similar video released previously showcasing a comparable missile base with both US and Israeli flags painted on a corridor floor – a common practice at Iranian state buildings and military bases intended for symbolic humiliation – the current unveiling reportedly only features the Israeli flag.

The absence of the US flag has been interpreted by some online as a possible signal that Iran might be subtly toning down its direct rhetoric towards the US amidst the heightened tensions and the significant US military buildup in the region.

The IRGC Aerospace Force commander, Hajizadeh, has previously claimed that Iran possesses hundreds of such underground missile sites across the country, a number so vast that unveiling one per week would take two years.

Iran has long prioritized the development of its missile program, which it views as a crucial deterrent, in the absence of an effective air force.

The unveiling also occurs as the United States is in the middle of a bombing campaign on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Washington says that the Houthis are directed by Tehran, a claim Iran denies, and has threatened direct action against Iran if its support for the group continues.

Trump, in late March, said that confronting Iranian threats was reaching its final stages, suggesting resolution through either negotiation or military action.

A recent report by Axios also indicated that Trump’s letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has set a two-month deadline for a new nuclear agreement, threatening military intervention if no deal is reached.

The group, which US President Donald Trump returned to the list of terrorist organizations this year following its blockade of shipping in the Red Sea, has been under sustained US airstrikes in recent days.

The Houthis issued a new directive to residents in areas under their control, forbidding them from disseminating any details about the strikes or casualties, according to sources speaking to Al-Hadath.

Security sources in Sanaa revealed that Houthi leaders and their escorts have been barred from carrying mobile phones or using them for any communication.

Sources in the coastal city of Hodeidah reported that Houthi commanders at all levels have disappeared, changed their phone numbers, and become unreachable to those who previously worked with them.

Hashim Ahmed Sharaf al-Din, the Houthis’ de facto information minister, called on the public to refrain from sharing names, photos, or any information about Houthi casualties, and to instead focus on the oppression of the Yemeni people and the group's resilience.

The crackdown comes amid increasing US airstrikes targeting their sites, weapons depots, military barracks, and secret military bases established in Saada, Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, and Hodeidah, used to store missiles, drones, and launch platforms.

The US operation follows persistent Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea since November 2023, which the group frames as a response to the Israeli war in Gaza.

The Houthis have also resumed missile attacks on Israel since the war in Gaza resumed, Israeli vowing tough military action to force Iran's allies, Hamas, to return the dozens of hostages remaining in the strip.

The Houthi communication crackdown comes as fears grow that its leadership may become the next targets of Israeli or US assassinations.

Last year, targeted airstrikes saw swathes of Hezbollah's leaders killed in Lebanon, including long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Iran's biggest ally suffered further setbacks when in September, Israel carried out "Operation Grim Beeper," targeting Hezbollah's communication devices in Lebanon and Syria.

Thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies exploded simultaneously, resulting in significant casualties and injuries, including civilians.

The attacks, which targeted pagers and walkie-talkies, were described as Hezbollah's biggest security breach since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in October 2023.

Named as Eduard Yusupov, the statement from Israeli Police said: “Based on the findings of the investigation, it can be said that Yusupov was operated by Iranian intelligence elements.”

He is said to have agreed to carry out the missions starting last October, for a fee of tens of thousands of dollars paid in crypto currency after being approached by a person who identified himself as an Azerbaijani citizen living in Dubai.

“[Yusupov] had carried out numerous missions for him, including surveillance and photography missions related to infrastructure and security sites in Israel, including IDF bases, the Haifa Port, the Haifa refineries, and the Nuclear Research Center,” the statement added.

It shows a recurring pattern in the actions of Iranian intelligence, using agents of Azeri origin who recruit via social media networks, targeting in this case and others, Israeli citizens of Caucasian origin.

Israeli intelligence analyst Ronen Solomon, said it shows the breadth of languages Iranian operatives are working with to target weaker elements of Israeli society who often come from lower economic brackets or less integrated groups.

He wrote on X: “Both in Israel and when traveling abroad, don't think that Iranian intelligence only speaks Persian. They may sit next to you in a hotel or casino and chat in your language as well.”

Last month, 73-year-old Israeli, Moti Maman, received a 12-year sentence for spying for Iran and plotting to assassinate Israeli leaders including the country’s PM and defense chief, in what the prosecution called a “deterrence” punishment as the number of Iran-backed plots foiled shot up by 400% alongside Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and conflict with Iran’s allies in the region.

“During the year, 13 serious espionage affairs by Israelis were exposed and thwarted for the Iranian intelligence agencies, and serious indictments were filed against 27 Israelis,” a statement said.