Rapper sentenced to death, Israel responds to Iran—and more
The Iranist for the week of April 25, 2024
NOTE: There will be no newsletter next week.
۱/1 Iran downplays Israel’s response
NOTE: Coverage is very different from last week due to a lack of open information on the events from the Iranian side.
In the early hours of April 19, Israel reportedly responded to Iran. Less than a week prior, Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen had fired 185 drones, 110 ballistic missiles, and 36 cruise missiles directly at Israel in retaliation for its assassination of top members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force at the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria. (Ninety-nine percent of the incoming barrage was intercepted, with the exception of some ballistic missiles.)
HOW IRAN REACTED: Citizen journalists filmed in central Esfahan province, home to a nuclear facility and an enrichment site, air defense systems going off and air raid sirens blaring (Reuters). Flights were abruptly canceled in Iran, including at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) (X).
Initial reports said that air defense had protected an air base in Esfahan, home to Iran’s F-14s, an outdated fleet purchased under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Atlantic Council). Interestingly, when Iran retaliated directly against Israel, Tehran’s target was Nevatim air base in southern Israel, where Israel houses its F-35 stealth fighter jets.
However, within hours, reports honed in on Israel’s use of quadcopters (small drones) and attempted to poke fun at what was deemed a weak Israeli response—compared to Tehran’s firing of more than three hundred drones and missiles at Israel.
Watch this video shared on social media (X):
One man in Esfahan told the state broadcaster, “It was nothing, just a few firecrackers, and even that was out in the desert.” (X) Throughout the morning, state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) aired live footage from Esfahan to suggest that all was well and nothing had happened. (X)
On April 19, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told NBC News:
“What happened… was not a strike. They were more like toys that our children play with—not drones.”
On April 22, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said:
“Relevant authorities have announced that this harassment attack has caused no damage whatsoever and Iran’s defensive system have carried out their duties. Therefore, in our opinion, this issue is not worthy of addressing.”
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? Israel has not officially commented on the events. However, Israeli and Western officials told the New York Times that:
“Instead of sending fighter jets into Iranian airspace, Israel fired a small number of missiles from aircraft positioned several hundred miles west of it… Israel also sent small attack drones, known as quadcopters, to confuse Iranian air defenses.”
It’s worth noting that military facilities have been attacked by quadcopters several times in the past. The use of quadcopters suggests they were launched from inside Iran and highlights yet another instance in which the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad has a presence on the ground (Atlantic Council).
The New York Times explains Israel’s logic behind the attack:
“Israel’s intention was to allow Iran to move on without responding in kind, while signaling that Israel had developed the ability to strike Iran without entering its airspace or even setting off its air defense batteries. Israel also hoped to show that it could hit those batteries in a part of central Iran that houses several major nuclear facilities… hinting that it could have also reached those facilities if it had tried.”
Israel’s original plan was a much larger counterstrike, but Western governments, led by the United States, implored Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint.
On April 22, satellite images published by Planet Labs PBC show that Israel had “precisely” hit a S-300 air defense system—one of the Russian-made air defense batteries purchased by Tehran that took years for Moscow to deliver—near the Natanz nuclear facility (AP). Iran and Russia signed a $800 million deal in 2007, but due to pressure from Western countries and Israel, Moscow was unable to deliver. It wasn’t until sanctions were lifted as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015 that Moscow was able to complete the delivery of the four long-range surface-to-air missile systems.
On April 23, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to acknowledge the Israel attack, noting:
“Debates by the other party about how many missiles were fired, how many of them hit the target and how many didn’t, these are of secondary importance. The main issue is the emergence of the Iranian nation and Iranian military’s will in an important international arena. This is what matters.” (AP)
On April 23, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said during a state visit to Pakistan that an Israeli attack on Iranian territory would result in there being nothing left of the “Zionist regime.” (Reuters)
NOW WHAT? It’s unclear what will happen next, but Tehran’s very public downplaying of events suggests that deterrence has been restored—for now.
۲/2 Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi sentenced to death
On April 23, dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi received a death sentence, according to his lawyer (Reuters). The verdict was handed out by the Esfahan revolutionary court, overruling the Supreme Court’s decision—an unprecedented move—that the rapper qualified for amnesty. Lawyer Amir Raesian said they would appeal the sentencing.
The voice of Iranian Gen Z, Salehi is known for his anti-establishment lyrics and vocal criticism of the Islamic Republic’s systemic corruption, mismanagement, and repression—all of which resonate with young Iranians. He was arrested in October 2022 during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising and, while in prison, has spent some eight months in solitary confinement, had limited contact with his lawyer, and has been physically and psychologically tortured.
On November 18, 2023, Salehi was released on bail after the Supreme Court found flaws in his original sentencing from July 2023: a six-year and three-month prison sentence for “corruption on earth,” which is used against actual or perceived dissidents to quash opposition to the clerical establishment and could carry a death sentence, a two-year prohibition on music-related activities, and a ban on his ability to leave the country. The case was handed over to the lower court for reexamination. Salehi was rearrested days later on November 30, 2023 on alleged charges of “false claims without evidence,” an apparent reference to a video made while on bail where he described being tortured in prison and under the pressure of intelligence agents. (IranWire).
Since the news broke out, the Iranian diaspora—actors, singers, activists—and Iranians inside Iran have posted countless social media with little to no coordination, showing solidarity with Salehi and condemning his death sentence using #FreeToomajSalehi and توماج_صالحی# (Toomaj Salehi).
Iran-based pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi, who was arrested in August 2023 for his song “Take your headscarf off” in support of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“It remains a black comedy because it lacks foundation. Release my brother unconditionally, or the smoke of this fire will burn your eyes.” (X)
Read my New York Times profile of the dissident rapper from 2023.
DON’T FORGET OTHERS: Meanwhile, on April 23, Kurdish-Iranian dissident rapper Saman Yasin, 25, was given a five-year prison sentence. Yasin, who has already been imprisoned for eighteen months, was arrested in October 2022 for his vocal criticism of the Islamic Republic.
In a recent letter to the judiciary, Yasin wrote: “You’ve staged mock executions, hospitalized me… What’s left? Take my life too, and be done with it.”
۳/3 MAHSA Act passes Senate, signed into law
On April 23, the US Senate almost unanimously passed a foreign aid package, including the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act (MAHSA Act) (PAAIA). The MAHSA Act targets Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office and those affiliated with it. The bill, which was first introduced to the US Congress in January 2023, was one of several introduced following the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini in September 2022 at the hands of the so-called morality police that prompted the Women, Life, Freedom uprising. On April 24, President Joe Biden signed the MAHSA Act into law (Iran International).
The MAHSA Act is considered a big win for the Iranian-American community, which mobilized at the grassroots level through the self-styled Mahsa Act Army, using #MahsaAct on social media and by calling Congressional offices.
DIASPORA POLITICS: This week is the first anniversary of the dissolution of the short-lived Iranian opposition coalition known as the Georgetown 8, or Etelaaf (“coalition”).
Many articles have dissected the Iranian diaspora’s activism and the Georgetown 8, including this latest by Arash Azizi. However, it’s worth emphasizing that there are many silver linings, including the MAHSA Act. Read my thread on how the Iranian diaspora has evolved since the 2022 uprising.
۴/4 Slain protester’s older sister arrested and released
The elder sister of a 16-year-old protester who was killed by security forces during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising was arrested and then released (BBC News). On April 18, Aida Shakarami, 22, was detained by the so-called morality police as part of a new crackdown on women. While she was being arrested, Shakarami reportedly cried, “You killed my sister! What more do you want?”
Nasrin Shakarami, the mother of Aida and slain protester Nika, said the judge in the case had insulted and threatened her daughter. After about a week in detention, Shakarami was released on April 23 (RFE/RL).
Nika Shakarami, who was kidnapped and murdered by security forces, is considered one of the de facto symbols of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising.
THE WAR ON WOMEN: Last week, the so-called morality police and plainclothes agents began cracking down on women for not abiding by mandatory hijab rules. The move is part of the controversial “Hijab and Chasity bill” that passed last year in parliament, even though the draconian bill has not been approved by the twelve-member vetting body, the Guardian Council.
Since the 2022 uprising, there has been a decline in women abiding by mandatory hijab rules, and as the weather gets warmer, authorities usually execute new initiatives to enforce mandatory hijab. However, this is also likely a way to clamp down on dissent in the wake of Israel-Iran tensions.
According to videos posted on social media, Iranian women have been assaulted and violently pushed in morality police vans, car windows have been broken with batons, and others have had their vehicles seized.
Persian language social media users are describing the crackdown as a “war against women” and using the hashtag جنگ_علیه_زنان# to document their experiences and observations.
۵/5 After 9 years, Iranian pilgrims head to Saudi Arabia for Umrah
۶/6 Student Dina Qalibaf sent to prison after reporting sexual assault
۷/7 Iranian president visits Pakistan
On April 22, President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Pakistan for a three-day visit, the first by an Iranian leader in eight years. The trip comes in the wake of tit-for-tat strikes by the neighboring countries on foreign terrorist groups in January that prompted a brief recalling of ambassadors. Raisi is the first world leader to visit Islamabad since the country held national elections in February.
Raisi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed strengthening ties, enhancing bilateral trade to $10 billion a year, and signed eight agreements, including security deals that defy US sanctions. Iran and Pakistan aim to revive a project to build a gas pipeline, known as the Peace Pipeline or IP Gas, which was delayed for decades due to US sanctions. Islamabad intends to request a sanction waiver for the pipeline.
On April 23, responding to the news, the US State Department spokesperson said:
“We advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions. Ultimately, the Government of Pakistan can speak to their own foreign policy pursuits.” (Bloomberg)
Last week, the US imposed sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human rights
۰ Amnesty International’s 2023-2024 human rights report in Iran (Amnesty)
۰ Hunger strikes across Iran’s prisons protest “state murder as a means of repression” (CHRI)
۰ Iran ramps up violence and repression against women and girls amid regional tensions (CHRI)
۰ Tortured and in deteriorating health, woman activist should be immediately released (CHRI)
۰ Writers, artists demand Iran release cartoonist arrested for trying to hang picture (RFE/RL)
۰ Woman murdered by husband amid rising femicide rates (IranWire)
۰ Journalist Parisa Salehi summoned for prison term (IranWire)
۰ Iran blocks dozens of social media accounts amid crackdown on women (IranWire)
Domestic issues
۰ Iran fines football player for hugging female fan for 3 seconds (IranWire)
۰ Tattoo-covered musician Tataloo apologizes during court appearance (IranWire)
۰ Mine from Iran-Iraq War explodes, one killed (IranWire)
Foreign policy + security
۰ Why Hezbollah was sidelined in Iran-Israel clashes (Financial Times)
۰ North Korean officials visit Iran in a rare public trip (Reuters)
۰ Iran’s Afghan community worried about prospect of war with Israel (RFE/RL)
۰ French court gives man suspended sentence for Iran consulate intrusion (The New Arab)
۰ Iran disputes reports of first delivery of Russian Su-35 fighter jets (DPA)
۰ Iran homing in on Africa with trade promises, chaos (RFE/RL)
Iran deal + sanctions
۰ Iran warns of shift in nuclear stance if Israel threatens atomic sites (Financial Times)
۰ Iran says nuclear weapons have no place in its nuclear doctrine (Reuters)
۰ US sanctions four over ‘malicious cyber activity’ for Iran’s military (AFP)
۰ Iran’s foreign minister calls EU sanctions ‘regrettable’ (Reuters)