US Intercepts Houthi Missiles, Preventing Attack In Red Sea

The hackers boast access to the personal details of over 20 million users, exposing a vast trove of sensitive information.

The compromised data, reportedly up for sale at $30,000, includes usernames, passwords, email addresses, full names, and mobile numbers. Furthermore, the hackers claim to possess detailed information on over 51 million user addresses, complete with GPS coordinates and phone numbers.

The hackers have also released a sample of the data to validate their claims.

In an exclusive interview with the Digiato website, the hackers emphasized their decision not to inform Snapp Food's management before going public with the hack. Snapp Food, acknowledging the breach, issued a press release stating, "Initially, in collaboration with the Cyber Police, we are identifying and eliminating the source of contamination caused by the actions of this hacking group."

This is not the first time the hacking group has targeted a prominent Iranian service. In September, they reported a breach on the ride-hailing service Tapsi, affecting more than 33 million users. The hackers claimed to have engaged in negotiations with Tapsi's management for two weeks before making the breach public. However, the company refused to meet the hackers' demand of $35,000.

The recurrent nature of such incidents in Iran highlights the absence of stringent laws and penalties for negligence in safeguarding private information. The lack of user rights, including the inability to request the deletion of personal data, underscores the urgency for regulatory reforms to address the growing threat of information leaks in the country.

Etemad Online in Tehran says tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated following the UN nuclear watchdog, IAEA’s report about Iran’s nuclear escalation. Observers in Tehran have pointed out that the situation in the region could go dangerously out of control if there is no agreement between Tehran and Washington.

Meanwhile, according to the Wall Street Journal, Tehran's attempts to help its regional allies and proxy groups to attack Israel and US forces in the region has been a key factor in the escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Under the 2015 nuclear deal, the JCPOA, Iran’s uranium enrichment was greatly curtailed but after the United States withdrew from the accord, Tehran began to increase both the quantity and quality of its enrichment.

The boost in the production of weapons-grade uranium may also pave the way for Iran's nuclear break-away, reports say. Now, Iran has simply returned to its production level as it has been at the beginning of 2023, which means that any possible agreement between Tehran and Washington that was made since then has failed.

Meanwhile, observers in both Tehran and Washington suggest that despite these developments, Washington may still be prepared to resume the nuclear talks with Tehran although many politicians in Washington demand a tougher stance against Tehran. The resumption of the talks were initially planned for October, but the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war stopped the process.

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Iranian foreign policy analyst Rahman Ghahramanpour told Didban Iran website that Iran's involvement in attacks on navigation in the Red Sea is likely to lead to a confrontation in the long-run. However, even at the current level of escalation, the situation is likely to adversely affect Iran's relations with other countries such as China, Russia, and some of the regional countries that still maintain close ties with Tehran.

Ghahremanpour added that the attacks by Iran's proxies and allies on civilian shipping in the Red Sea will badly damaged its international image and foreign relations.

Meanwhile, Iran's former diplomat in New York Kourosh Ahmadi told Entekhab News website that "With no agreement between Tehran and Washington, the situation which has been under control during the past months since the start of the war in Israel, could dangerously go out of control. 

Ahmadi added that it is not unlikely that Israel would plan an attack on Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah under such circumstances. However, Ahmadi quoted some unnamed Iranian officials as saying that the United States would not get involved in any new adventurism in an election year. According to Ahmadi, while such a presumption could be correct from some perspectives, it would remain true only if the opposing party could not accuse the incumbent government of weakness and indecisiveness in the face of foreign enemies. If the delicate balance were to be disrupted in such a case, the government might decide that foreign adventurism is its only way to preserve its status in the US domestic political scene.

Ahmadi also argued that events such as the recent US attack on the positions of Iranian proxy groups in Iraq could ruin the balance and the unwritten agreement between Tehran and Washington which was supposed to come out of meetings in Oman. He failed to mention that the US strikes were limited retaliation against more than 100 attacks by Iran’s proxies on US bases in Iraq and Syria.

However, Ahmadi reiterated that : "If there is no agreement between Iran and the United States, the situation that seemed to be under control during the past six months, will go out of control and a dangerous situation could take shape."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Al-Nairab Military Airport near Aleppo and targets in its vicinity were also attacked.

SOHR stated that there are warehouses and centers belonging to Iranian militias in the areas hit by missiles launched from warplanes.

The airports themselves did not sustain damage, SOHR said.

Six explosions were heard in the Nairab airport area, while one missile landed in the area of Aleppo International Airport.

Reuters reported that the Israeli military declined to comment. While Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes against Iran-affiliated forces in Syria in the past decade, it usually refuses to confirm or deny its involvement.

Most of these attacks have targeted weapons depots belonging to the Iranian military network in Syria, and arms transfers destined for Iran-backed forces, particularly the Lebanese Hezbollah. Israel has vowed not to allow more entrenchment by Iranian forces in Syria.

The latest strikes seem to be related to heightened tensions in the region amid the Israeli military operation against Hamas.

On December 25, a suspected Israeli air strike killed the top Iranian IRGC general, Razi Mousavi, at his residence near Damascus. Iran has vowed revenge for the targeted killing, similar to a US air strike that killed Iran’s Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 in Baghdad.

The attack resulted in four confirmed casualties, as stated by a local commander from Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). A Syrian war monitor reported that as many as 19 were killed, including four members of the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Iran International reported on the attack on Friday, but there was no official confirmation at the time.

While the commander denied harm to groups' fighters near the Syrian border, the strikes specifically targeted an eight-truck convoy, leading to the destruction of at least four trucks and three buildings affiliated with an Iranian-backed militia group, according to sources with connections to Syrian border officials.

Iran-aligned forces, including Hezbollah, hold influence across significant areas in eastern, southern, and northwestern Syria, as well as in suburbs surrounding the capital. Suspicions point toward Israel, known for its historical targeting of Iran-linked sites, although the US denies any involvement, emphasizing the absence of defensive strikes overnight.

Despite its reluctance to directly get involved in the Gaza war, Iran persists in utilizing proxy forces across Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen to target both US and international interests, with a record of over 100 drone and rocket attacks. Criticism is mounting against President Joe Biden for perceived leniency toward Iran, prompting calls for a more robust approach from former US officials and Republican lawmakers.

Iran denies any role in the attacks by militants, asserting that planning and execution are independently carried out by its affiliated armed groups. Despite escalating rhetoric, Iran, facing economic challenges, exercises caution to avoid significant losses.

Mousavi was killed in an air strike allegedly conducted by Israel. He is being praised for his role in strengthening Iran's proxy forces in the region that Tehran calls the "Axis of Resistance." His death is seen as a blow to the Iranian regime amid Israel's war against Hamas.

Palestinian militant groups, the Syrian regime, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis are the main forces aligned with and supported by the Iranian regime.

The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency published an interview with one of Mousavi's colleagues, identified only as Haj Hassan, on Saturday. Tasnim cited "security considerations" for not disclosing his full name.

According to Haj Hassan, Mousavi played a crucial role in transferring assistance to proxy forces through relations with Syrian and Lebanese officials. He was also credited with creating conditions for the ‘resistance axis’ that allowed for the production of essential items locally.

"The transfer of equipment and the necessary technology for production within the resistance axis was one of Mousavi's characteristics during these years. In challenging conditions, he implemented fundamental strategies to sustain resistance over the course of three decades," Haj Hassan added.

Thousands gathered for his funeral in Tehran's central Imam Hossein Square, where mourners passionately chanted anti-Israel and anti-American slogans. Yellow flags bearing the message "I am your opponent" were waved by the crowd, directly targeting Israel.

During the funeral, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, led prayers and paid tribute to Mousavi, further solidifying the official narrative surrounding the senior IRGC official's role and impact.