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The Dark Horse of Iran’s Election Circus: Pourmohammadi’s Chilling Rise
In the twisted realm of Iran’s political theater, where power and oppression intertwine, the emergence of Mostafa Pourmohammadi as a potential presidential candidate is not only alarming, but also a revealing glimpse into the regime’s inner workings.
This criminal mullah, whose legacy is stained with blood, corruption, and unwavering loyalty to the oppressive regime of Supreme Leader Khamenei, embodies the disturbing paradox that pervades the Islamic Republic: the more tyrannical and ruthless an individual is, the higher they ascend within the ranks.
Pourmohammadi’s résumé reads like a horror story — a testament to the Islamic Republic’s descent into darkness. As a notorious colleague of Ebrahim Raisi in the infamous “execution committee,” he played a pivotal role in the mass murder of countless innocent lives. His tenure at the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) was marked by a trail of atrocities, cementing his reputation as a criminal thug and a symbol of the regime’s brutality.
Yet, in the twisted logic of the Islamic Caliphate, Pourmohammadi’s heinous acts are not a disqualification but rather a badge of honor. The more murderous, corrupt, and oppressive an individual is, the more beloved they become in the eyes of Khamenei and his ilk. This perverse dynamic has paved the way for Pourmohammadi’s rise, as the regime seeks a candidate who will stop at nothing to suppress dissent and maintain the iron grip of the Velayat-e faqih, the governing doctrine of Iran’s clerical leadership.
Pourmohammadi’s brief foray into “stand-up comedy,” i.e. his desperate attempt to gain popularity and influence, only serves to highlight the absurdity of his candidacy and the farcical nature of political contests in Iran, which can aptly be termed the “Election Circus.” This tragicomic maneuver of Pourmohammadi’s public performance was not about entertainment, but a calculated attempt to soften his public image and hint at a semblance of approachability and normalcy.
Despite lacking a coherent plan, popularity, or positive influence, Pourmohammadi’s smiles in front of the cameras do not mask his illiteracy in governance, or his bluster. His rise is not propelled by competence but by a brutal allegiance to the principles of the Velayat-e faqih, the doctrine that sustains Khamenei’s regime through the suppression of any form of protest and the perpetuation of a cycle of fear and control.
The recent endorsement from the MOIS website, subtly supporting Pourmohammadi’s candidacy, is particularly telling. The website, which typically serves dual functions of informing the public and consolidating political support, is strategically being used to craft a favorable image of him. This maneuver is part of a broader orchestration by the MOIS to manipulate public perception and ensure bureaucratic support for their chosen candidate, further entrenching the undemocratic nature of Iran’s political processes.
Pourmohammadi is not merely a product of the system; he is its stark embodiment — a symbol of thuggery and repression under the guise of religious and political authority. His potential candidacy is a bleak indicator of the regime’s direction, prioritizing loyalty and brutality over justice and the welfare of its people.
As the election circus unfolds, the world watches with bated breath, hoping against hope that the Iranian people will reject this descent into depravity. Pourmohammadi’s candidacy is a stark reminder of the challenges facing Iran, a nation caught in the grip of a regime that has sacrificed its soul on the altar of power and oppression.
The international community must remain vigilant and outspoken against the elevation of such figures, for Pourmohammadi’s presidency would not just be a domestic issue, but a significant setback for regional stability and human rights.
The world must not be fooled by the electoral facade in Tehran; behind the curtain lies a narrative of tyranny and sorrow that seeks to perpetuate itself through the likes of Mostafa Pourmohammadi.
Erfan Fard is a counterterrorism analyst and Middle East Studies researcher based in Washington, DC. Twitter: @EQFARD.
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Antisemitic Incidents at Argentina Local Soccer Match Spark Official Investigations, Condemnations
Fans of Argentinian soccer club All Boys marched through the streets before their match against Atlanta soccer club, carrying a coffin draped with an Israeli flag alongside Iranian and Palestinian flags. Photo: Screenshot
Argentinian authorities and soccer officials have launched investigations following antisemitic incidents by Club Atlético All Boys fans during Sunday’s local match against Atlanta.
Atlanta, a soccer team based in the Villa Crespo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, has deep historical ties to Argentina’s Jewish community, which has long been a significant presence in the area.
This latest antisemitic incident took place outside the stadium before the game had even started.
All Boys fans were seen waving Palestinian and Iranian flags, carrying a coffin draped with an Israeli flag, and handing out flyers bearing messages like “Free Palestine” and “Israel and Atlanta are the same crap.”
Before a football match today against the Argentine sports club Atlanta, which is closely associated with the Jewish community, fans of the opposing team, All Boys, waved Islamic Republic and Palestinian flags while parading a coffin draped in an Israeli flag through the streets.… pic.twitter.com/IQs4v6eoFz
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) June 29, 2025
Then, during the match — which ended in a 0-0 draw — a drone carrying a Palestinian flag flew over the stadium, while some fans reportedly chanted anti-Israel slogans.
Local police confirmed they have issued citations to individuals accused of inciting public disorder and related offenses.
On Monday, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) condemned the incidents as “abhorrent” and confirmed the organization has opened a formal inquiry into the events.
“This is not folklore. This is discrimination,” the statement reads.
Argentina’s Security Minister Patricia Bullrich also announced that a criminal complaint has been filed, citing “acts of violence, expressions of racial and religious hatred, and public intimidation.”
In a post on X, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA), the country’s Jewish umbrella organization, condemned the incidents and called on both local authorities and the soccer officials to “take firm action against these acts of hatred.”
“We urge the authorities to take all necessary actions and apply the full force of the law,” the statement reads. “Violence and discrimination must have no place in our society.”
Repudiamos enérgicamente las expresiones antisemitas ocurridas hoy en las inmediaciones del estadio Malvinas Argentinas.
Exigimos a las autoridades correspondientes, a la AFA y al Club All Boys que actúen con firmeza ante estos hechos de odio.
La violencia y la discriminación no… pic.twitter.com/3AmY7IQscY— DAIA (@DAIAArgentina) June 29, 2025
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Argentina has experienced a surge in antisemitic incidents and anti-Jewish hate crimes.
According to a recent report by DAIA, Argentina experienced a 15 percent increase in antisemitic activity last year, with 687 anti-Jewish hate crimes recorded — up from 598 incidents in 2023 — marking a significant rise nationwide.
The study indicates that 66 percent of the antisemitic incidents originated in the digital realm, with a significant rise in Nazi symbols and conspiracy theories, but there was also a 34 percent increase in reported physical assaults, with such hate crimes rising in schools and neighborhoods.
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Iranian nuclear program degraded by up to two years, Pentagon says
A satellite image of Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility. Photo: File.
The Pentagon said on Wednesday that US strikes 10 days ago had degraded Iran’s nuclear program by up to two years, suggesting the U.S. military operation likely achieved its goals despite a far more cautious initial assessment that leaked to the public.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, offered the figure at a briefing to reporters, adding that the official estimate was “probably closer to two years.” Parnell did not provide evidence to back up his assessment.
“We have degraded their program by one to two years, at least intel assessments inside the Department [of Defense] assess that,” Parnell told a news briefing.
U.S. military bombers carried out strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22 using more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs and more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
The evolving U.S. intelligence about the impact of the strikes is being closely watched, after President Donald Trump said almost immediately after they took place that Iran’s program had been obliterated, language echoed by Parnell at Wednesday’s briefing.
Such conclusions often take the U.S. intelligence community weeks or more to determine.
“All of the intelligence that we’ve seen [has] led us to believe that Iran’s — those facilities especially, have been completely obliterated,” Parnell said.
Over the weekend, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said that Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months, raising doubts about how effective US strikes to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program have been.
Several experts have also cautioned that Iran likely moved a stockpile of near weapons-grade highly enriched uranium out of the deeply buried Fordow site before the strikes and could be hiding it.
But US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week he was unaware of intelligence suggesting Iran had moved its highly enriched uranium to shield it from US strikes.
A preliminary assessment last week from the Defense Intelligence Agency suggested that the strikes may have only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months. But Trump administration officials said that assessment was low confidence and had been overtaken by intelligence showing Iran’s nuclear program was severely damaged.
According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the strikes on the Fordow nuclear site caused severe damage.
“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged,” Araqchi said in the interview broadcast by CBS News on Tuesday.
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Switzerland Moves to Close Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Geneva Office Over Legal Irregularities
Palestinians carry aid supplies received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the central Gaza Strip, May 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed/File Photo
Switzerland has moved to shut down the Geneva office of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed aid group, citing legal irregularities in its establishment.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza in late May, implementing a new aid delivery model aimed at preventing the diversion of supplies by Hamas, as Israel continues its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the UN and international organizations, some of which have claimed that Jerusalem is causing starvation in the war-torn enclave.
Israel has vehemently denied such accusations, noting that, until its recently imposed blockade, it had provided significant humanitarian aid in the enclave throughout the war.
Israeli officials have also said much of the aid that flows into Gaza is stolen by Hamas, which uses it for terrorist operations and sells the rest at high prices to Gazan civilians.
With a subsidiary registered in Geneva, the GHF — headquartered in Delaware — reports having delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.
According to a regulatory announcement published Wednesday in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA) may order the dissolution of the GHF if no creditors come forward within the legal 30-day period.
The Trump administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Swiss decision to shut down its Geneva office.
“The GHF confirmed to the ESA that it had never carried out activities in Switzerland … and that it intends to dissolve the Geneva-registered branch,” the ESA said in a statement.
Last week, Geneva authorities gave the GHF a 30-day deadline to address legal shortcomings or risk facing enforcement measures.
Under local laws and regulations, the foundation failed to meet several requirements: it did not appoint a board member authorized to sign documents domiciled in Switzerland, did not have the minimum three board members, lacked a Swiss bank account and valid address, and operated without an auditing body.
The GHF operates independently from UN-backed mechanisms, which Hamas has sought to reinstate, arguing that these vehicles are more neutral.
Israeli and American officials have rejected those calls, saying Hamas previously exploited UN-run systems to siphon aid for its war effort.
The UN has denied those allegations while expressing concerns that the GHF’s approach forces civilians to risk their safety by traveling long distances across active conflict zones to reach food distribution points.
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