Israeli-Linked Chemical Tanker Seized In Gulf Of Aden

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce announced on November 16 that the New Jersey-based Princeton University is the subject of an investigation over the role of its controversial academic Mousavian, a former Iranian regime ambassador to Germany.

The twelve Republican lawmakers wrote: “During Mousavian’s tenure at Princeton, one of its students, Xiyue Wang, was held hostage in Iran. Given Mousavian’s experience as a former high-ranking official with the government of Iran, did Princeton ask Mousavian to assist in any way for Xiyue Wang’s release? Did Mousavian offer to use his contacts to try to free Xiyue Wang?”

The congressional representatives requested that Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber answer their questions about Mousavian’s alleged failure to aid the Chinese-American scholar Wang.

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Wang told Iran International that “Princeton did not use its leverage, Mousavian, to get me out and it is not using its leverage to get Elizabeth Tsurkov out.”

Tsurkov,a Russian-Israeli PhD student at Princeton University, was kidnapped by the pro-Iran regime militia Kata'ib Hezbollah in March, 2023 in Iraq.

“Based on my understanding that Mousavian did not help me I would guess he is not working to help Tsurkov, “added Wang, who was imprisoned in Iran between August, 2016 and December 2019.

He and his wife, Hua Qu, sued Princeton University in 2021. Wang and his wife claimed they suffered “severe personal injuries and other irreparable harm, with respect to Princeton’s “reckless, willful, wanton, and grossly negligent acts.”

Wang and Qu settled the lawsuit in September. The elements of the settlement have not been made public. The 45 page civil suit against Princeton, which includes 16 mentions of Mousavian, can be read here.

In his first interview with Iran International, the embattled Princeton academic Mousavian said about Wang’s accusations that “Such claims are because they do not understand Iran. It is true that I was the former spokesperson for Iran’s nuclear negotiation team and a friend of the then Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during my service at the Iranian foreign ministry. “

Mousavian added, “However, neither Rouhani as the then president, nor Zarif as the then foreign minister had no power, influence and authority to intervene in Wang’s case. In 2009, an Iranian court sentenced the brother of President Hassan Rouhani, Hossein Fereydoun, to five years in prison.”

Wang countered that “The problem is not really whether Zarif or Rouhani could help. The problem is Mousavian decided he was not going to do anything. Iranian intelligence first confiscated my passport. And 18 days later they arrested me. During this time , I asked Princeton to ask Mousavian to help. And Mousavian decided not to do anything. When you have a person with that level of connections in your institution, you would expect he would act.”

When Iran International first asked Mousavian about the two Princeton students who were kidnapped, the former ambassador said, “I don’t know the students, but I believe any kidnapping, assassination and terror by anyone, anywhere and for any reason is a clear violation of international rules and regulations.”

Wang’s lawsuit stated, “Since joining Princeton in 2009, Mr. Mousavian has written many articles and made many media appearances where he has advocated in favor of the United States allowing Iran to obtain nuclear capabilities. Mr. Mousavian is understood to be a strong and avid supporter of the current Iranian terrorist regime. Mr. Mousavian frequently published pro-regime articles throughout Mr. Wang’s imprisonment in Evin Prison.”

Wang said, “Princeton knew I was held as a hostage as a bargaining chip and yet they were allowing Mousavian to use Princeton to promote the Iranian regime’s interests in the US, Iran and around the world.”

He asked “Why is Mousavian allowed to use his Princeton byline to criticize the US while I am in jail? Princeton, at the level of the university, is in the forefront of the pro-Iran engagement policy. Princeton’s pro-Iran engagement is not working.” He cited the case of Tsurkov, noting “When you have a student get arrested again in the span of a few years that says something.”

Wang said he was “glad” the congressional committee is investigating Princeton and Mousavian, adding they are “asking Princeton some questions that it really needs to answer. Mousavian is representing the Iranian regime unofficially. This is not academic freedom but harboring an agent. Why is Princeton giving the Iranian regime a prestigious platform for the Iranian regime’s interests? Princeton needs to come clean.”

Numerous Iran International press queries to Princeton University went unanswered.

Matthew Mottes, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Municipal Water Authority, disclosed to KDKA-TV that the hacking group, identified as Cyber Av3ngers, successfully took control of the station, setting off an immediate alarm.

The station, located on the outskirts of Aliquippa, plays a crucial role in managing pressure for Raccoon and Potter Townships. Mottes sought to allay public fears by affirming that, as of now, there is no identified risk to the drinking water or water supply.

The compromised system operated on a Unitronics platform, with Mottes highlighting the ownership of certain software or components by Israel. Subsequent to the breach, the system has been deactivated, and the Pennsylvania State Police have been called in to conduct a thorough criminal investigation at the booster station.

CyberAv3ngers has claimed responsibility for a series of global cyber assaults including on Iran’s archenemy Israel. As of October 30, their X page detailed attacks on ten water treatment stations in Israel in the midst of the Gaza war.

In September, the group claimed involvement in an alleged cyberattack targeting Israel's railroad network, disclosing sensitive information about its electrical infrastructure.

However, the railway operator refuted the occurrence of any cyberattack. The hacktivist collective also took credit for disabling the website of Israel's largest oil refinery, BAZAN Group in July, accompanied by the release of purported screenshots depicting the company's internal systems.

The trial, described as “unprecedented” by Canadian outlet Global News, followed Ortis’ arrest in 2019 which “sent a shockwave through the Canadian security and intelligence community”.

Jurors declared Ortis guilty of three counts of violating the Security of Information Act and one count of attempting to do so.

Prosecutors argued that not only had Ortis passed information to international criminals and money launderers connected to Iran but was also in possession of classified files which could have only been of interest to foreign states and that he was on cusp of sharing them just before his arrest in 2019.

According to court documents, from at least 2014, the RCMP and multiple intelligence agencies of Canada's close allies were investigating money laundering activities conducted by various entities associated with Altaf Khanani, a Dubai-based money service businesses owner.

These included Salim Henareh and his companies Persepolis International and Rosco Trading, Muhammad Ashraf and his company Finmark Financial, and Farzam Mehdizadeh and his firm Aria Exchange who were all subjects of the investigation in Canada.

Mehdizadeh, who reportedly once owned the biggest Iranian exchange bureau in Canada, was arrested in 2016 and fled to Iran after being released on bail.

Ortis, 51, had pleaded not guilty to all charges and testified that he offered secret material to targets in a bid to get them to use an online encryption service set up by an allied intelligence agency to spy on adversaries.

The prosecuting team argued Ortis lacked authority to disclose classified material and that he was not doing so as part of a sanctioned undercover operation.

Prosecutor Judy Kliewer suggested the Crown would seek a prison sentence of 20 or more years.

Ortis was arrested in September 2019. A civilian with a PhD in international relations, he was at the time the director of the RCMP’s national intelligence co-ordination centre in Ottawa, with access to Canada’s Top-Secret Network (CTSN), a computer network used by the federal government to share classified information. CTSN held intelligence from Canada’s allies in the Five Eyes, an intelligence-sharing network that includes the US, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The trail to his arrest began the previous year when the RCMP analyzed the contents of a laptop owned by Vincent Ramos, CEO of Phantom Secure Communications, who had been apprehended in the United States. His company provided criminal organizations with encrypted mobile phones.

The jury was told that RCMP investigators found emails to Ramos from Ortis offering classified information to in exchange for $20,000.

Moreover, federal prosecutor Judy Kliewer alleged Ortis was in the final stages of a plan to pass state secrets to a “foreign entity” as well.

CBC reports that before his arrest, Otis’ home had been raided secretly, and just on one laptop, investigators found 488 secret files. Some had their headers removed and turned into PDF documents, hence untraceable, and ready to be shared. They also found searches for Chinese and other diplomats and embassies.

"Given the nature of the documents … these are no longer organized crime directed documents. These are all documents that related to national security and would only be of interest to a foreign entity,” the prosecution argued.

Reacting to the conviction, Canadian daily Globe and Mail declared that the outcome of the trial suggests that the Canadian judicial system passed an “extraordinary test”.

According to Wesley Wark, “for Canada’s intelligence and law enforcement partners, who share national security concerns about transnational organized crime, money laundering and possible terrorism linkages (Iran lurked in the background of this case), the Ortis trial had Canada on trial”.

“Even with the successful outcome of the trial, that trust will remain fragile, while the RCMP works to improve its internal security,” writes Wark.

As for the Iranian media, the news does not seem to have been covered inside the country, with headlines still dominated by the war in Gaza. State run news agencies such as IRNA and Fars did report on Otis’ arrest in 2019, albeit without mentioning any links to Iran in the investigation.

The attack injured five people, disturbing the early morning tranquility with the sounds of air defenses and explosions.

The assault began in the early hours, targeting various districts of Kyiv and persisting in waves as daylight emerged, with the air raid alarm lasting for a prolonged six hours.

Iran has supplied hundreds of kamikaze drones to Russia since mid-2022. The drones have been extensively utilized to target civilian infrastructure and cities, integrated into large-scale missile attacks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

Despite Iran's denial of involvement in supplying drones and other weaponry to Russia, the United States and NATO allies have imposed sanctions on individuals and entities associated with these drone shipments.

Initially, Ukraine's air force reported successfully intercepting 71 out of 75 drones, later revising the number to 74. A spokesperson clarified that 66 of the drones were brought down over Kyiv and its surroundings. Air force chief Mykola Oleschuk credited the effectiveness of 'mobile fire' units—fast pickup trucks equipped with machine guns or flak cannons—for downing nearly 40% of the drones.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, communicating via the Telegram app, confirmed five injuries, including an 11-year-old girl, and widespread building damage across various city districts. A fire in a children's nursery was sparked by a fragment from a downed drone.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack as "willful terror," accusing the Russian leadership of taking pride in causing harm.

While the exact target of Saturday's attack remains unclear, Ukraine had previously warned of a potential Russian aerial campaign targeting Ukraine's energy system, similar to attempts last winter.

Amid the Middle East conflict, Zonnour emphasized the Islamic Republic's right to stop and inspect ships in the international waters of the strait, citing national interests as a determining factor.

Known for his hardline stance, he claimed, "Generally, stopping and inspecting ships in the Strait of Hormuz is the right of the Islamic Republic. It is true that international laws govern global waters, and no country can act arbitrarily. However, the passage through global waters is free for everyone unless it threatens national interests." He did not elaborate on the international legal justification for such an act.

Zonnour, a hardliner, previously served as the Supreme Leader's Deputy Representative to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and chaired the Nuclear Subcommittee of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Islamic Consultative Assembly until 2019.

His comments come amid escalating tensions in the region, with earlier threats from Iranian officials suggesting the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to the Hamas-Israel conflict.

Last month, Hassan Norouzi, another lawmaker said, “So far, resistance forces in Palestine, Syria and Iraq are sufficient, but if the situation becomes critical and we are asked [for assistance], it is possible that we would go to war against Israel to support the resistance.”

Despite supporting Hamas financially and militarily for two decades, Tehran has so far refrained from any direct military involvement in the Gaza war.