Middle East
Students poisoned, women threatened to have bank accounts frozen as Iran protests continue

Protests against the Iranian regime continue globally but the Islamic Republic is not backing down. Reports were released that Iranian students have been poisoned ahead of a scheduled protest, and there are new threats being made to women.
Foreign Desk News reports a “member of the Iranian parliament told local state media that the government plans to impose new punishments on women who do not wear a hijab in public.”
Individuals who refuse to comply reportedly will have their bank accounts frozen after two warnings. Hossein Jalali, a member of the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, told media outlets that “unveiled persons” would be sent an SMS urging them to respect the law and wear a hijab before entering a “warning phase” and finally having their bank account frozen.
The regime official did not describe what the “warning stage” entailed. “Other key figures in the Islamic government have said that cameras could be used along with artificial intelligence to identify offenders” adds FDN.
The Foreign News Desk reports of the protests and citizens’ battle with the government:
As protests continue to flourish in Iran, the ayatollahs have relied heavily on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Basij paramilitary forces and terrorist proxies to suppress protesters. In the past few weeks, the regime has enacted several sentences against protesters, finding ways to push for consequences against protesters while doing everything to maintain Islamic governance.
Several days ago, an Iranian bank manager was fired for attending to an unveiled woman without a hijab. In response to the regime’s crackdowns, more Iranians are engaging in their daily activities in Iran without hijabs despite facing threats and harassment from regime supporters.

Middle East
U.S. House Votes to Permanently Freeze $6 Billion Iranian Funds Amid Hostage Exchange Controversy

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation to permanently freeze $6 billion in Iranian funds that were initially slated for release by the Biden administration as part of a hostage exchange with Tehran earlier this year. The measure passed in a 307-119 vote, with the majority of Republicans supporting it, according to The Hill. Notably, Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie was the sole Republican dissenting voice, aligning with 118 Democrats.
The frozen funds, originally held in South Korea, were part of a deal where Seoul committed to paying Iran for oil before the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic in 2019. Subsequently, these funds were transferred to Qatar as part of the exchange. However, in the aftermath of an Oct. 7 Hamas raid on Israel, where more than 200 hostages were seized and around 1,200 civilians were killed, both Qatar and the U.S. agreed to refreeze the funds.
The decision to permanently freeze the funds reflects the growing controversy surrounding the hostage exchange and the broader implications of releasing substantial financial resources to Iran. Tehran’s support for Hamas and its proxies’ heightened hostilities in the Middle East have contributed to the contentious nature of this issue.
As the legislation progresses, it further underscores the complex dynamics in the region and the United States’ response to Iran’s involvement in activities that destabilize the Middle East. The vote outcome signals a bipartisan stance on this matter, with implications for U.S.-Iran relations and the ongoing challenges of navigating geopolitical complexities.
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