Hossein Taeb

And the crazy Iranians tried to pull one more thing.

This is a A note that got put out by their guy who's like in charge of the War Department over there at the IRGC.

He says, don't get distracted by the U.S. president's mixed signals from no negotiations to we're ready to talk.

He put this out this week, which is kind of strange, right? Because we're not willing to talk right now.

There were shouting matches, two senior generals reportedly threatened to resign, and officials accused one another of betrayal and treason.

An internal investigation eventually pointed toward one of the most powerful figures in Iran's security establishment, Hossein Taeb.

Taeb is a cleric and longtime intelligence operative who spent more than two decades leading intelligence operations for the Revolutionary Guard, the, again, the IRGC.

He was removed from that position in twenty twenty-two following a series of embarrassing security failures, including Israeli penetration of Iranian networks.

Let's hope it's the right one.

Headline four, Iran's besieged force is reportedly tightening its grip over the country under the direction of its returning commander, Hossein Taib.

Iranian opposition sources say that Taib is overhauling the besieged, rooting out opponents of the regime and building out a network of informants who can... inform the besieged brewing protest movements.

The force is surging its presence in Iran's markets, gas stations, schools and hospitals, and it's expanding its intelligence gathering efforts.

Mojtaba Khamenei has still not made a confirmed public appearance since being named to succeed his father in March, a gap that is now closing in on six months.

Earlier this month, on August tenth, Iranian state media released an undated video and a photograph purportedly showing Khamenei alongside an announcement of several senior military appointments attributed to his decrees, including elevating Ali Abdollahi Hayati to Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and installing hardline cleric Hossein Taeb to lead the Basij paramilitary force.

The authenticity and timing of that footage could not be independently verified.

President Pezeshkian has given noticeably inconsistent accounts of his own access to Khamenei in recent weeks, telling reporters in late July that their interactions were increasing day by day, then saying in early August that communicating with the Supreme Leader had become very difficult before later claiming a seven-hour meeting had taken place.

That's the sprawling paramilitary force used to monitor and suppress Iran's population.

His name is Hossein Taeb, and his critics have given him an appropriate nickname, the Suppression Sheikh.

Taeb is a hardline cleric who joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the early years of the Islamic Republic.

He spent decades moving through Iran's intelligence establishment, building a reputation for fierce loyalty to the Khamenei family and ruthless treatment of anyone considered a threat to the regime.

Iran's leaders appear to believe that they can survive that pressure if they prevent economic anger from becoming organized political opposition and protests.

Washington is trying to push Iran toward its breaking point.

Hossein Taeb is being brought back to ensure the population stays home and out of the streets.

Iran's leaders may no longer be able to defend their skies or repair their economy or prevent American pressure from reaching ordinary families in Iran, but The Suppression Sheikh, he wasn't brought back to solve any of those problems.

Hardliners have recently been elevated to senior security positions.

As an example, Hossein Taeb, a veteran intelligence figure associated with domestic repression and brutal crackdowns on past protests, has reportedly been placed in charge of the Basij militia.

Now, that militia is the favored tool of the regime to suppress and brutalize protesters.

That tells you that Tehran isn't only preparing for another confrontation with the U.S. It's likely also preparing for another confrontation with its own people.