Today marked the 10th day of widespread protests across dozens of cities in Iran, as the Iranian people flooded the streets to demand freedom from their fanatical regime. Cracking down on the protests, the regime has killed at least 35 protesters so far, with another 1,200 detained.
In Tehran today, protesters held a sit-in at the Grand Bazaar, a major market in the country's capital. Regime forces reportedly fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters.
Iranians sit in front of regime security forces at Tehran's Grand Bazaar during the 10th day of protests.
Dramatic footage posted to social media showed massive crowds gathered across Iranian cities, including in the city of Abdanan, where hundreds of protesters took to the streets and seized control of the city. Watch the clip below.
Iranian protesters seized control of the city of Abdanan in Ilam province.
The State Department condemned the regime's security forces' attack on a hospital in the Ilam province, saying, "Storming the wards, beating medical staff and attacking the wounded with tear gas and ammunition is a clear crime against humanity. Hospitals are not battlefields."
The regime has made life miserable for the Iranian people.
In Lorestan province, one of Iran's poorest regions and a hot spot of anti-regime protests, a woman interviewed by The Financial Times said that she and her sister live off of their mother's pension, roughly $130 per month. Speaking about the struggles caused by the regime, she said, "Our issue is bread. It has become a huge battle just to secure enough food. And if you want to find a job, there are almost none."
But as FDD’s Saeed Ghasseminejad writes, the protests are about more than economic hardship alone. “While the trigger was indeed the rial’s catastrophic freefall, decimating the life savings of millions overnight, the fuel is something far more combustible: a decade of accumulated revolutionary demand.”
Israel and Syria hold security talks in Paris, establish new coordination mechanism
Israeli and Syrian officials held a series of talks in Paris with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to advance a security agreement between the two nations. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani led the talks.
Israel, Syria, and the U.S. agreed to "establish a joint intelligence-sharing mechanism – a dedicated communications cell – that will enable immediate and ongoing coordination in intelligence sharing, reducing military tensions, diplomatic engagement, and commercial opportunities.
Under the U.S.'s supervision, "the mechanism will serve as a platform for immediate handling of any dispute and efforts to prevent misunderstandings," according to the joint statement following the trilateral meeting.
Following the meeting, the three countries agreed to "begin talks between Jerusalem and Damascus also in civilian areas: medicine, energy, and agriculture."
Israeli Foreign Minister makes historic first trip to Somaliland
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar made a historic first trip to Somaliland, just a week after the Jewish state recognized the country's independence.
Sa'ar, who made the trip at the invitation of Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, said that the visit sent a clear message, "We are determined to vigorously advance relations between Israel and Somaliland."
Sa'ar added that the president will soon pay an official visit to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Israel continues to surge aid into Gaza
Israel continues to surge significant quantities of aid into Gaza, far exceeding the U.N.'s stated requirements for the Strip.
In the two-and-a-half months since the ceasefire went into effect, Israel has worked alongside the U.S.-led Civilian-Military Coordination Center to deliver over 850,000 tons of food — over four times what the U.N. says is needed in Gaza.
Israeli military strikes Hezbollah targets
The Israeli Air Force struck a series of Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon, days before the Lebanese army commander is scheduled to brief the government on its mission to disarm the terrorist group.
According to the IDF, the military took out operatives and "several weapon storage facilities and military structures, both above and below ground."
The IDF said that it took several steps to mitigate the risk to civilians in the areas, as this was "another example of the terrorist organizations’ use of civilians as human shields."
The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Lebanon to fulfill its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
