Latest news with #IslamicRevolutionaryGuard
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
They want to destroy America from the inside. Now Iranian sleeper agents line up on our doorstep - and an ally could be set to unleash them all
A shocking wave of Iranian regime insiders — including suspected members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — have quietly moved to Canada in recent years, stoking fears of sleeper cells poised to strike targets across North America. The explosive revelation comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where a shaky ceasefire appears to be holding after America joined Israel 's 12-day bombing campaign of Iran 's nuclear program.
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Iran urged Hezbollah to stay out of war to ensure its survival, source reveals
Hezbollah's decision to stay out of the Iran-Israel war was the result of internal and external pressures as the Lebanese militant group faces growing vulnerabilities, a senior US official has told The National. After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire late Monday between Israel and Iran. Throughout the fighting, Hezbollah – once considered Iran's most powerful proxy – offered only verbal support to its patron, without intervening militarily. Hezbollah was established in the 1980s during Lebanon's civil war, in the aftermath of Israel's 1982 invasion. Backed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it emerged as a resistance force against Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. Originally meant to deter Israeli incursions, Hezbollah evolved into a powerful military and political player in Lebanon, and is often described as a 'state within a state'. 'The resistance force – I'll call them that – is now under pressure to preserve themselves. They've taken a knee,' said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'There's nothing that would stop the country to the south [Israel] from carrying out much greater aggression if they [Hezbollah] were to get involved at this point,' he added. The US official said that Tehran had asked the group not to enter the war to retain 'what is left of their strength'. Hezbollah was weakened severely during a year-long war with Israel that ended in November. Israel's military campaign destroyed much of Hezbollah's infrastructure, eliminated the group's leader and senior commanders, and infiltrated its security network. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah must pull all military equipment and fighters out of southern Lebanon, and all non-state militant groups must be disarmed across the country. Lebanon remains under international pressure to reassert full state sovereignty. President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly said the decision to centralise arms under state authority has been taken, but insists this can be achieved only through dialogue rather than force. 'Israel wants the Lebanese government to be more aggressive towards Hezbollah,' said the official. 'This places the group in a tough position. Many fighters had already moved to Iraq. Lebanese nationalism needs to be front and centre. Joseph Aoun has been clear on this." Despite the truce, Israel continues to bomb southern Lebanon almost daily and maintains control over five military posts along the southern border. It has also struck Beirut four times since the ceasefire agreement was sealed. Shortly after the Iran-Israel war erupted, Lebanese officials urged Hezbollah not to join forces with Tehran, security sources told The National. The group agreed. 'The group has given reassurances that it has no intention of doing so,' said one of sources. 'We know those important missiles can be launched only on orders from Iran." Hezbollah is still believed to possess medium and long-range missiles, and it continues to command a broad Shiite support base. A political source in Beirut close to Hezbollah told The National: "Tehran neither needs nor has requested any military support from Hezbollah or other resistance factions. It inflicted pain on Israel itself without any assistance." The group had recently drawn Lebanon into war. After the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah opened a second front by firing rockets at Israeli positions along the northern border the following day. What began as limited cross-border attacks quickly escalated into a near-daily exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. Last September, this developed into a full-scale war. The conflict left Lebanon devastated, with thousands killed, more than a million displaced and critical infrastructure across the south and Beirut's southern suburbs in ruins. The Lebanese Armed Forces is not expected to confront Hezbollah directly but the government is seeking to align Hezbollah's actions with national interests, said the US official. 'We believe that Hezbollah is, more than ever, co-operating but not at the pace Israel desires.'
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Internal and external pressures kept Lebanon's Hezbollah out of Israel-Iran war
Hezbollah's decision to stay out of the Iran-Israel war was the result of internal and external pressures as the Lebanese militant group faces growing vulnerabilities, a senior US official has told The National. After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire late Monday between Israel and Iran. Throughout the fighting, Hezbollah – once considered Iran's most powerful proxy – offered only verbal support to its patron, without intervening militarily. Hezbollah was established in the 1980s during Lebanon's civil war, in the aftermath of Israel's 1982 invasion. Backed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it emerged as a resistance force against Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. Originally meant to deter Israeli incursions, Hezbollah evolved into a powerful military and political player in Lebanon, and is often described as a 'state within a state'. 'The resistance force – I'll call them that – is now under pressure to preserve themselves. They've taken a knee,' said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'There's nothing that would stop the country to the south [Israel] from carrying out much greater aggression if they [Hezbollah] were to get involved at this point,' he added. The US official said that Tehran had asked the group not to enter the war to retain 'what is left of their strength'. Hezbollah was weakened severely during a year-long war with Israel that ended in November. Israel's military campaign destroyed much of Hezbollah's infrastructure, eliminated the group's leader and senior commanders, and infiltrated its security network. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah must pull all military equipment and fighters out of southern Lebanon, and all non-state militant groups must be disarmed across the country. Lebanon remains under international pressure to reassert full state sovereignty. President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly said the decision to centralise arms under state authority has been taken, but insists this can be achieved only through dialogue rather than force. 'Israel wants the Lebanese government to be more aggressive towards Hezbollah,' said the official. 'This places the group in a tough position. Many fighters had already moved to Iraq. Lebanese nationalism needs to be front and centre. Joseph Aoun has been clear on this." Despite the truce, Israel continues to bomb southern Lebanon almost daily and maintains control over five military posts along the southern border. It has also struck Beirut four times since the ceasefire agreement was sealed. Shortly after the Iran-Israel war erupted, Lebanese officials urged Hezbollah not to join forces with Tehran, security sources told The National. The group agreed. 'The group has given reassurances that it has no intention of doing so,' said one of sources. 'We know those important missiles can be launched only on orders from Iran." Hezbollah is still believed to possess medium and long-range missiles, and it continues to command a broad Shiite support base. A source close to Hezbollah in Beirut on Thursday told The National: "Tehran neither needs nor has requested any military support from Hezbollah or other resistance factions. It inflicted pain on Israel itself without any assistance." The group had recently drawn Lebanon into war. After the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah opened a second front by firing rockets at Israeli positions along the northern border the following day. What began as limited cross-border attacks quickly escalated into a near-daily exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. Last September, this developed into a full-scale war. The conflict left Lebanon devastated, with thousands killed, more than a million displaced and critical infrastructure across the south and Beirut's southern suburbs in ruins. The Lebanese Armed Forces is not expected to confront Hezbollah directly but the government is seeking to align Hezbollah's actions with national interests, said the US official. 'We believe that Hezbollah is, more than ever, co-operating but not at the pace Israel desires.'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
CIA says Trump strikes will set back Iran's nuke programme by YEARS as White House calls for leaker to be JAILED
Iran confirms death of top military commander Ali Shadmani after Israeli strike Iran has officially confirmed the death of Ali Shadmani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, following Israeli air strikes last week. State media outlet IRNA quoted a statement from the headquarters, which said Shadmani died from injuries sustained in the attack, the BBC and Sky News reported. The Israel Defense Forces had previously announced his death on June 17, citing 'precise intelligence.' Shadmani, known as Iran's 'wartime chief of staff,' was a close aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He had only been appointed commander on June 13, following the death of his predecessor Gholamali Rashid in an earlier Israeli strike. The IRGC's command centre has vowed 'harsh revenge' for his killing. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Ali Shadmani in Tehran
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
FBI sharpens focus on counter-terrorism after Iran strikes
Officials across the US are on heightened alert after the US bombing of nuclear facilities in is no specific threat but in recent days, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have spoken with governors and law enforcement agencies across the country about the heightened threat environment. The FBI has also shifted some of its agents, who have been helping on immigration-related cases, back to counter-terrorism efforts, sources told the BBC's US partner CBS. Within two days of the Iranian strikes, US immigration officials arrested 11 Iranian citizens in the US, including men with alleged ties to Iran's military and paramilitary proxy groups. Authorities have not suggested any of those arrested were involved or linked to a specific plot in the US, and the Department of Homeland Security has said there are no credible threats currently to US soil. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told CBS, the BBC's news partner, that the arrests were part of President Donald Trump's efforts to deport immigrants in the US man arrested in Minnesota is an alleged former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard who has "admitted connections to Hezbollah", according to ICE. Another man who was arrested In Mississippi had been living in the US for eight years and had allegedly been designated by the US as a known or suspected terrorist. Another man arrested in Alabama allegedly served for three years as a sniper in Iran's military before moving to the US in 2024. The arrests came after DHS and the FBI hosted calls over the weekend with state leaders and hundreds of law enforcement agencies to inform them of the heightened threat environment and ensure they are being vigilant and reaching out to those who could be at risk, including those in the Jewish community, US media reported. In recent days, Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials have spoken often about the threat of Iranian "sleeper cells" who infiltrated the US under the Biden no direct or public threat has been made by Iran to attack the US homeland - and there is a current ceasefire in effect in the conflict between Iran and Israel - the country has a long history of sponsoring violent attacks in the US, says Dr Lorenzo Vidino from the George Washington University Program on Extremism. In 1980, shortly after Iran's Islamic Revolution, an Iranian dissident was assassinated in the US state of Maryland. More recently, the US says Iran has planned assassinations of American officials, including Trump and his former National Security Adviser John of people with ties to Iran have been arrested in recent years, according to Dr Vidino, although many of those arrests stem from sanctions violations. He cites a man who sold restricted night-vision goggles to Iran, but adds it's unclear whether the individual had ideological ties to Iran or simply was a businessman seeking to profit. The men most recently arrested, he suspects, had been watched by the US for some time. But agents decided to swoop in to detain them in light of the recent flare-up in violence between the US and Iranians in the US have been arrested in the past while scouting potential targets for a separate bulletin, the National Terrorism Advisory System warned of a "heightened threat environment in the United States". While it did not mention any specific threats, it said it to be especially vigilant against "low-level cyber attacks against US networks".Discussions between federal and local officials regarding national security has been commonplace since the 11 September 2001 terror attacks on the US. Terror events, mass shootings or attacks targeting a segment of the population often lead to an increased law enforcement presence and heightened security stance. Since the US involvement in Iran, police patrols have been increased in communities nationwide at certain sensitive sites, including buildings with connections to the US or Israeli governments, or to Judaism. Some FBI personnel, who were focusing on immigration enforcement as part of Trump's deportation goals, have reportedly been brought back to focusing on counter-terrorism, according to CBS News. On Sunday, the bureau distributed a memo to field offices telling them to focus resources on terror FBI has not confirmed any shift in priorities. "The FBI does not comment on specific operational adjustments or personnel decisions," the agency said in a statement. "However, we continuously assess and realign our resources to respond to the most pressing threats to our national security and to ensure the safety of the American people."
