June 28 – Hamas, a militia group in Palestine and an arm of the Islamic Republic’s axis of resistance in the Middle East, began to rebuild its military force in the Gaza Strip this week, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.
The Institute also cited reports which claimed that Hamas planned to relocate its political leadership from Qatar to Iraq, and that Iran and Iraq’s federal government would provide Hamas leaders with security in Iraq.
The developments come as intense fighting between Israel and Iran continues, following an attack in Israel on Oct. 7 by Hamas, which killed more than 1,200 Israeli men, women and children.
Election hopefuls in Iran tried to woo female voters by placing a softer emphasis on the Islamic Republic’s increasingly draconian forced hijab law.
Current parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf asked the law to be enforced less aggressively, while shiite cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi, condemned the use of violence against women to enforce the legislation.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the only reformist candidate, was the sole nominee to openly criticize the mandatory hijab law.
And the death sentence for prominent Iranian rap artist Toomaj Salehi was overturned on appeal by Iran’s Supreme Court.
The lawyer for Salehi said the judiciary had ordered a retrial, after procedural irregularities had been found in his case.
Salehi was charged with “corruption on earth,” and sentenced to death in April for producing music in support of the nationwide anti-government protests and publicly endorsing the demonstrations.
